Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (Feb 22nd to 29th Feb 2024)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Feb 22nd to 29th Feb 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• World Thinking Day 2024 is observed on the 22nd of February 2024.
• Each year on February 22nd, we honour Robert Baden-birth Powell’s anniversary by celebrating World Scout Day.
• Every year February 24 is celebrated as the central Excise Day all over the world to honour the service of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) to the country.
• World NGO Day 2024 is observed on the 27th of February 2024.
• Every year, National Science Day is celebrated on February 28 all over India.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE

• India’s outward foreign direct investment (FDI) commitments rose by 25.7% on a year-on-year (Y-o-Y) basis to $2.09 billion in January 2024, compared to over $1.66 billion in January 2023.
• PB Fintech announced that insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has granted in-principle approval to its wholly owned subsidiary Policybazaar Insurance Brokers (Policybazaar) to upgrade its license from a direct insurance broker (Life and General) to a composite insurance broker.
• Private lender Bandhan Bank has been authorised by the West Bengal government to collect tax and non-tax receipts on its behalf.
• US-based online payment gateway PayPal has officially registered its operations with the Financial Intelligence Unit of India, six years after a legal battle between both entities.
• In what could be considered as a sign of investment demand gathering steam, India Inc raised ₹80,000 crore more via corporate bond issuances in the first nine months (9M) of FY24 vis-a-vis a year ago.
• Market regulator SEBI has levied a penalty of ₹3 lakhs on Kotak Alternate Investment Fund and its trustees for extending the tenure of its close-ended venture capital fund Kotak SEAF India beyond the prescribed tenure.
• India’s real GDP growth likely slowed to 6% in the third quarter of this fiscal year, from 7.6% in Q2, rating firm ICRA stated, citing the uneven monsoon, slowing government capex and flagging momentum in some indicators, including industrial activity.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹50,000 on Hanamasagar Urban Co-operative Bank Limited., Karnataka.
• Paytm has partnered with Axis Bank for the settlement of merchant payments.
• India announced to contribute $1 million to the Poverty and Hunger Alleviation Fund established by India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA).
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has notified the Trustee Bank (TB) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023 and the Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023.
• The Japanese government has committed an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 232.209 billion yen (about Rs 12,800 crore) for 9 projects across various sectors in India.
• Investment commitments received by Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) have exceeded Rs 10 trillion for the first time, showcasing a significant increase in demand from investors seeking higher returns compared to traditional investment options.
• Walmart-backed Indian fintech PhonePe launched its app store for Android called Indus Appstore, becoming the first Indian rival to Google’s Play Store.
• According to a report by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Local taxes and fees contribute only 1.1% to Panchayats’ total revenue.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has notified the National Pension System Trust (Second Amendment) Regulations 2023 and Pension Fund (Amendment) Regulations 2023 .
• The largest private sector lender HDFC Bank has raised $300 million in its maiden sustainable finance bond issue.
• SBI Funds Management, India’s largest fund house with assets under management (AUM) of ₹8.51-lakh crore, has approached the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to increase the overseas investment limit due to growing investor interest and India’s comfortable forex position.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has asked the National Payment Council of India (NPCI) to examine the request of One97 Communications’ (OCL), which owns Paytm, to become a Third-Party Application Provider (TPAP) for continued Unified Payments Interface operation of the Paytm application.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed banks and non-banks to issue prepaid payment instruments (PPIs) specifically for public transit services, including metro, buses, rail, waterways, tolls, and parking.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has consolidated all relevant instructions regarding Supervisory Returns into a single Master Direction to create a unified reference for all Supervisory Returns and to streamline the timelines for their filing.
• The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has issued amendments to the Retirement Adviser (RA) Regulations, 2023 to simplify eligibility criteria and registration processes, streamline timelines, and eliminate the requirement of security deposits to promote Ease of Doing Business.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed penalties totalling nearly Rs 3 crore on State Bank of India (SBI), Canara Bank, City Union Bank (CUB), and Ocean Capital Market Limited for various violations of regulatory norms.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been propagating financial literacy in various forms, recognizing its crucial role in securing individuals’ financial future.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 9th edition of Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of projects worth over 13 thousand crores at Tarabh in Mesana& these include the launch of Bharat Net Phase-II – Gujarat Fibre Grid Network Limited, which will provide high-speed internet to more than 8000 gram panchayats.
• Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Mansukh Mandaviya virtually addressed the public launch event of the World Health Organization’s Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH).
• The Union Government has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the continuation of the implementation of the Umbrella Scheme on ‘Safety of Women’ at a total cost of around one thousand 180 crore rupees during the period from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth 55,500 crore rupees in Gujarat.
• In a significant stride towards advancing modern road connectivity in Karnataka, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 18 National Highway Projects with a total investment of ₹7,290 crore.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate Global Textile Expo-Bharat Tex 2024 on 26th February in New Delhi.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned a new railway line project to connect the holy city of Puri with Konark.
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 13,000 crores in
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate three key First Mile Connectivity Projects of South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a Coal India Subsidiary under the Ministry of Coal, in Chhattisgarh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s longest cable-stayed bridge, Sudarshan Setu, in Gujarat’s Devbhumi Dwarka district.
• The Defence Security Corps (DSC) is celebrating its 77th Raising Day on 25^th
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually dedicated, inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 10 projects worth about Rs 34,400 crore in Chhattisgarh.
• Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan participated in the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) held under the Brazilian G20 Presidency in Rio de Janeiro.
• NHPC has successfully hosted the 23rd Inter Central Public Sector Unit T-20 Cricket tournament under the aegis of the Power Sports Control Board (PSCB) in Gurugram.
• During the 193rd meeting of ESIC under the chairmanship of Union Minister Bhupender Yadav, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) decided to extend medical benefits to superannuated insured persons with relaxed norms.
• A cross-border initiative, focused on harmonious coexistence with tigers in the Sunderbans, seeks to preserve biodiversity in both India and Bangladesh.
• The Global Pulses Conference, an annual meeting of pulses producers, processors and traders, suggested that India augment the production of pulses to meet the nutritional requirements.
• The Indian government has increased the windfall tax on the sale of domestic crude oil marginally from ₹3,200 to ₹3,300 per tonne and has also reintroduced a ₹1.5 per litre special additional excise duty (SAED) on the export of diesel.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and inaugurated and dedicated to the Nation around 2000 railway infrastructure projects worth more than Rs. 41,000 crores via video conferencing.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a post said in Jharkhand, that approval has been given for the construction of a 2-lane bypass road with paved shoulders around Giridih town on National Highway- 114 for Rs 438.34 crore.
• Index provider MSCI raised India’s weightage in its Global Standard (Emerging Markets) index to a historic high of 18.2% following its February review, and the changes will come into effect after market close on Feb. 29.
• The central government plans to increase the number of highly beneficial neem trees in the country from the existing one tree for every 50 Indians to one tree for every 10 Indians to meet the rising demand from different sectors for neem oil.
• The Central Consumer Protection Authority has released draft guidelines on the prevention and regulation of greenwashing for public consultation.
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 17,300 crores in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate two significant First Mile Connectivity Projects (FMC) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL) under the Ministry of Coal, virtually.
• The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has given its nod for the acquisition of over 200 BrahMos Extended Range (ER) supersonic cruise missiles for deployment on Indian Navy warships.
• The Central Economic Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) has launched an “Automated Search Portal” to help public sector banks (PSBs) with antecedent verification of prospective borrowers and non-performing assets (NPAs).
• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi participated in the Golden Jubilee celebration of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) at Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, Ahmedabad.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• India and Greece will soon sign a mobility and migration partnership agreement to ease skilled migration between the two countries and aim to double bilateral trade by 2030, stated Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The Philippines has made history by becoming the first Asian country to ratify the Violence and Harassment Convention 2019 (No. 190) announced by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
• Malta has become the 119th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
• In a bid to promote economic collaborations and encourage tourism and business ties, Dubai has introduced a five-year multiple-entry visa for Indian tourists.
• The World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH), aimed at fostering collaboration and sharing digital health knowledge and products among countries.
• In the State Focus Paper for the financial year 2024-25, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has recommended establishing meat and egg processing units in Gujarat to produce value-added products like chicken samosa, patties, and momos.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS

• The banana city of central India, Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh (MP), is all set to organise its annual Banana Festival.
• Karnataka plans to consolidate various agri schemes to launch a new one to help farmers make agriculture sustainable and lucrative.
• Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, along with Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh,Vishnu Deo Sai, inaugurated 211 PM SHRI schools in Raipur.
• Sammakka Saralamma Jathara, also known as Medaram Jathara, is a tribal festival dedicated to honouring the goddesses celebrated in the southern state of Telangana.
• During a recent meeting of the State Level Bankers Committee, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath urged banks to not hesitate in providing loans to those in need.
• The Madhya Pradesh (MP) government has announced ‘bag less school’ day once a week for students in classes 1 to 12, starting from the upcoming academic session in 2024-25.
• Uttarakhand Chief Minister (CM) Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the ‘Himalayan Basket’ initiative, introduced by local entrepreneurs Sumit and Sneha Thapliyal.
• Haryana Chief Minister Shri Manohar Lal, inaugurated the ‘Savera’ program initiated by the Medanta Foundation in collaboration with the Health Department in Gurugram, aimed at early detection and prevention of breast cancer, a growing concern among women.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• The government has begun getting rid of old outstanding small income tax demands after setting a ceiling of Rs 1 lakh per taxpayer.
• BSNL, the state-owned telecommunications company, has initiated a tender process amounting to approximately Rs 65,000 crore for the implementation of the phase-III BharatNet project.
• Tata Group companies Air India and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) plan to invest Rs 2,300 crore in Karnataka in multiple projects which will employ about 1,650 people.
• Mineral Production in the Country has grown by 5.1 percent in December 2023 as compared to the level in the month of December 2022.
• Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL) plans to set up 19 plants to produce compressed biogas (CBG) that would feed into its city gas distribution network.
• India’s annual capital spending on developing oil fields will fall next year, shrinking by about a fifth by 2030 in the absence of major discoveries, which will lead to a drop in domestic oil production and expand dependence on imports, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) has signed an MoU with the Indian Air Force (IAF) for the integration of futuristic Weapons and Sensors for LCA Tejas aircraft.
• Power sector PSU and India’s largest integrated power company NTPC Limited has signed a Land Lease Agreement to realize its green energy and green hydrogen objectives, thus also contributing to the Government of India’s efforts towards energy transition.
• India and Oman have mutually agreed to cooperate in the field of Archives. A delegation of the National Archives of India (NAI), visited the National Records and Archives Authority (NRAA) of Oman on February 21-22, aimed at exploring the areas of bilateral cooperation in the archival field.
• Power Finance Corporation (PFC), leading NBFC, power sector PSU and the largest renewable energy financier in India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support the climate ambitions of the state of Goa.
• National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Limited (NICDC) under the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (FITT-IITD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi to evaluate optimality of locations for development of Greenfield Industrial Smart Cities in India leveraging the principles and framework of PM GatiShakti.
• The Ministry of Ayush and Research and Information System for Developing Countries, (RIS) New Delhi signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND INDEX

• India has slipped to the 85th spot on the Henley Passport Index.
• IFFCO, one of the leading fertiliser players in the country, has been ranked first among top 300 cooperatives in the world.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• Indian Navy’s largest-ever multilateral naval exercise, Milan 2024, has commenced in Vizag with an impressive lineup of warships from Indian and foreign navies participating in the Harbour Phase.
• India kick-started a 9-day mega naval exercise in Visakhapatnam with participation of around 50 navies that came amid the fractious geopolitical environment including growing global concerns over deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea.
• Multinational military exercise – ‘Shanti Prayas IV’ – kicked off in Nepal at the Army headquarters here with the participation of 19 countries, including India, Bangladesh and Pakistan to enhance the interoperability and peacekeeping skills of the forces.
• India’s largest defence equipment exhibition, Defence Expo, is being organized by the Industries Department of the Maharashtra government at the International Exhibition and Convention Center at Moshi near Pune.
• The 5th edition of Joint Military Exercise ‘DHARMA GUARDIAN’ between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self Defence Force commenced at Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.
• Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane co-chaired the India-Germany High Defence Committee (HDC) meeting in Berlin with the State Secretary, German Ministry of Defence Mr Benedikt Zimmer.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: PERSON IN NEWS

• Jacintha Kalyan creates history as she becomes India’s first female curator and is all set for an exciting WPL season

CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• SBM Bank India announced the appointment of Ashish Vijayakar as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of the Bank for 3 years.
• Pradeep Kumar Sinha is set to assume the role of Non-Executive Part-time Chairman of ICICI Bank following the conclusion of C. Chaturvedi’s term.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed M R Kumar, former LIC Chairman, as the part-time non-official Director and non-executive Chairman of Bank of India (BOI).
• The ACC has appointed Srinivasan Sridhar as the part-time non-official Director and non-executive Chairman on the Board of Indian Overseas Bank (IOB).
• The ACC has appointed Aravamudan Krishna Kumar as the part-time non-official Director and non-executive Chairman on the Board of UCO Bank.
• Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has assumed the appointment of the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
• Geeta Batra, a distinguished economist born in India (New Delhi), has been appointed as the Director of the Independent Evaluation Office of the World Bank’s Global Environment Facility (GEF).
• Maryam Nawaz, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party and daughter of three-time former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif, became the first woman Chief Minister of Punjab province.
• Judge Nawaf Salam (Lebanon) was elected President of the International Court of Justice by his peers, for a term of 3 years.
• Former Supreme Court judge A M Khanwilkar was appointed as the chairperson of the anti-corruption ombudsman Lokpal nearly 2 years after the post fell vacant.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Prof Aditi Sen De becomes the first woman scientist to win the G D Birla Award.
• Shashi Tharoor has been given France’s highest civilian honour.
• The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B) has dropped the names of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and late actor Nargis Dutt from the National Film Awards.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of up to 8.79% (approx.) of the equity share capital of Pricol Limited (Pricol/Target) by Minda Corporation Limited (Minda/Acquirer).
• Private sector lender HDFC Bank has received approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for the divestment of a stake in HDFC Credila, the education loan subsidiary arm of HDFC Bank.
• Global investment firm The Carlyle Group pared a 1.3% stake in private sector lender Yes Bank for Rs 1,057 crore through an open market transaction.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The first spy satellite in India to be made by a local private player is set to be launched in a SpaceX rocket by April and will be used by the armed forces to get discreet information.
• Japan and the United States (US) will launch the world’s first wooden satellite, the LingoSat probe, into space to combat space debris
• ISRO has accomplished a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan missions, with the completion of the final round of ground qualification tests on February 13, 2024.
• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Sahyadri Farms are poised to transform agriculture through advanced satellite technology and data analytics.
• Google has introduced Gemma, a family of open AI models aimed at empowering individuals and businesses to develop their own Artificial Intelligence (AI) software responsibly.
• In a significant step towards the development of indigenous artificial intelligence (AI) in India, the BharatGPT group, backed by Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries and top engineering schools in the country, aims to launch its first ChatGPT-style service in March 2024 named “Hanooman“.
• Tech giant Meta has joined hands with the Misinformation Combat Alliance (MCA) in a cross-industry alliance announced towards launching a fact-checking helpline on messaging platform WhatsApp to combat the menace of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated deepfakes.
• After a gap of 52 years since the last successful Apollo mission, a U.S.-made spacecraft named Odysseus has successfully landed on the Moon.
• Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has launched the largest Remote Pilot Training Organization (RPTO) in India in collaboration with EduRade, with the aim of promoting the advancement of drone technology.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS) India announced its launch of an accelerator programme for space startups called AWS Space Accelerator: India.
• Cartosat-2, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) second-generation high-resolution imaging satellite, has been deorbited after serving for 17 years.
• Two of the country’s top Maharatna CPSE entities Coal India Limited (CIL) and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL)formally signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) in Delhi for setting up an ammonium nitrate plant through surface coal gasification (SCG) technology route.
• A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Textiles Committee, under the Ministry of Textiles,Government e Marketplace (GeM), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, and Standing Conference of Public Enterprises (SCOPE), Department of Public Enterprises, for the promotion of upcycled products made from textiles waste and scrap, at the ongoing Bharat Tex 2024 – India’s premier global textile event being held at the Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• Arunachal Pradesh is hosting the Final Rounds of the 77th National Football Championships for the Santosh Trophy 2023-24 at Golden Jubilee Outdoor Stadium in
• In the Asian Track Cycling Championship, India created history by clinching Gold in the Junior Women’s Team Sprint Event at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in Delhi.
• In the Khelo India Games, Jain University of Karnataka topped the list in all categories of Swimming events with 7 Gold, 6 Silver and 3 Bronze followed by the University of Kerala with 5 Gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals and Adamas University placed in the third with 6 medals played at the Dr. Zakir Hussain Swimming Pool in Guwahati.
• India finished the Archery Asia Cup 2024 with 14 medals, including nine golds, four silvers and one bronze in Baghdad, Iraq.
• Indian Squash player Abhay Singh clinched the Goodfellow Classic PSA Challenger Tour Title in Toronto,
• The University of Calicut lifted the championship trophy of Men’s Football at the Khelo India University Games 2023 defeating the University of Kerala by 2:1.
• Jacintha Kalyan has become the trailblazing pioneer as the first female cricket pitch curator in our nation.

CURRENT AFFAIRS : OBITUARIES

• Renowned constitutional jurist and senior Supreme Court advocate Fali S Nariman passed away at the age of 95 in New Delhi.
• A Russian opposition leader,lawyer, anti-corruption activist, and political prisoner Alexey Navalny died in prison.
• Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Manohar Joshi passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai.
• Ameen Sayani, radio’s most recognised voice for millions of Indians who tuned into Binaca Geetmala every week, has passed away at the age of 91.
• Renowned filmmaker Kumar Shahani passed away in Kolkata at the age of 83.
• Andreas Brehme, who scored from the penalty spot to seal victory for West Germany against Argentina in the 1990 World Cup final, passed away at the age of 63.

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