Important Weekly Current Affairs PDF Download (Mar 08th to 14th Mar 2024)

Dear Readers, Here we have given the list of Important Weekly Current Affairs of Mar 08th to 14th Mar 2024. Candidates those who are preparing for Upcoming SBIClerk 2024 and other competitive exams can make use of it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS

• International Women’s Day 2024 is celebrated on 8th March 2024.
• CISF Raising Day is celebrated on 10th March 2024.
• National No Smoking Day 2024 is observed on 13th March 2024 (the Second Wednesday of March)
• International Day of Action of Rivers 2024 is an international event celebrated on March 14th, 2024.
• PI Day 2024 is observed on March 14th, 2024.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled various developmental projects worth more than 6400 crore rupees at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir
• Shri Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister of Housing & Urban Affairs and Petroleum & Natural Gas, virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for 177 development projects in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.
• The government notified the amended FDI norms in the space sector, clearing the deck for 100 per cent overseas investment in making components for satellites, 74 per cent in satellite manufacturing and operations, and 49 per cent in launch vehicles
• Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri inaugurated India’s first Small Scale LNG Unit of GAIL
• The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) for Raw Jute for 2024-25 season
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the continuation of targeted subsidy of Rs.300 per 14.2 kg cylinder (and proportionately pro-rated for 5 kg cylinder) for up to 12 refills per year to be provided to the beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) during FY 2024-25.
• In furtherance to the vision of Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India, the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade for Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024 (UNNATI – 2024) for a period of 10 years from the date of notification along with 8 years for committed liabilities at a total cost of Rs.10,037 crore.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f. 1.1.2024 representing an increase of 4% over the existing rate of 46% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate against the price rise
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Law & Justice for the introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in Parliament.
• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will present the first ever National Creators Award at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
• Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Communications, Railways, and Electronics & Information Technology, launched the ‘NITI for States’ platform, a comprehensive digital initiative designed to empower states and union territories (UTs) in their pursuit of national development goals.
• The coal production in India has reached an unprecedented milestone, crossing 900 million tons (MT), setting the stage to approach the ambitious 1 billion ton (BT) target by March 31, 2024
• The Union Minister for Communication, Electronics, IT and Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw launched India’s fastest and indigenously developed Multiprotocol Label Switching router in Bengaluru
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of about 12 projects worth 8,534 crore rupees for Tripura virtually during his visit to Itanagar in Arunachal Pradesh
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 17,500 crores in Jorhat, Assam
• The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari approved has been given for widening of the 12.4 km long Dhrol to Amaran section of National Highway-151-A in Morbi district of Gujarat to 4-lane for Rs 625.58 crore
• The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari informed, in Jammu & Kashmir, an allocation of Rs. 1404.94 crore has been approved for the Widening and Strengthening project of the Rafiabad – Kupwara – Chowkibal – Tangdhar – Chamkot section of National Highway-701.
• The Union Minister for Road Transport & Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari Informed, in Tamil Nadu, a substantial allocation of Rs. 1376.10 crore has been approved for the widening of the existing 2-Lane Paved Shoulder from Tiruvallur to the Tamil Nadu/Andhra Pradesh border section of National Highway-716.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 112 National Highway projects spread across the country worth about one lakh crore in Gurugram, Haryana
• India now stands as the world’s second-largest producer of mobile phones at the end of the decade 2014-2024.
• The Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal announced the extension of Remission of Duties and Taxes on Exported Products (RoDTEP) Scheme support to additional export sectors in New Delhi
• Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of various developmental projects worth over Rs 1,06,000 crores at Dedicated Freight Corridor’s Operation Control Centre in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
• The government has abolished wireless operating licence and launched a regulatory sandbox for quick and online approval of product testing, Union Communications and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw
• The government announced the long-pending implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), approved by Parliament in 2019, notifying the rules under which the legislation will operate.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Bhutan on extending co­operation in the field of Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Measures.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the signing of an Agreement between Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA), Ministry of Health, the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding cooperation in the areas of food safety.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gave its Ex-post facto approval to the Inter-Governmental Framework Agreement (IGFA) that was signed during the High-Level visit between the Government of the Republic of India and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on Cooperation for the empowerment and operation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved two new corridors of Delhi Metro’s Phase-IV project which are expected to further improve the Metro connectivity in the national capital.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval of signing of Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of India and the Royal Government of Bhutan on General Supply of Petroleum, Oil, Lubricants (POL) and related products from India to Bhutan.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Pradhan Mantri Samajik Utthan and Rozgar Adharit Jankalyan’ (PM-SURAJ) national portal and approved credit assistance for one lakh entrepreneurs from disadvantaged communities.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS

• Sweden formally joined NATOas the 32nd member of the transatlantic military alliance, ending decades of post-World War II neutrality and centuries of broader non-alignment with major powers as security concerns in Europe have spiked following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
• Panama has officially ratified the International Solar Alliance (ISA), marking its entry as the 97th member nation. The information was divulged by Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.

• Sweden has officially become the 32nd member of NATO after it completed the accession process in Washington.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS

• Kerala’s Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan launched a government-supported OTT platform called CSpace at the Kairali Theatre.
• Chief Minister Shri Yogi Adityanath introduced the “Mukhyamantri Yuva Udyami Vikas Abhiyan (MYUVA)” scheme in Uttar Pradesh (UP), to foster entrepreneurship among the state’s youth.
• Keyi Panyor became the 26th district of Arunachal Pradesh by carving out the areas from Lower Subansiri.

• The Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is embarking on a significant milestone with the introduction of driverless trains equipped with cutting-edge technology.
• In line with the visible shift in the migration pattern from Kerala of late, women from the southern State hold the highest number of passports issued in the country till 2023, followed by Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Gujarat.
• The state of Maharashtra has introduced its 4th women’s policy, aimed at fostering the holistic development of women.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS

• Customers or depositors can claim a refund of their unclaimed amounts from their banks
• Coal PSUs under the administrative control of MoC have been at the forefront of doing CAPEX to assist and contribute to transforming the Indian economy
• SJVN Limited, a Mini Ratna, Category-I and Schedule ‘A’ Central public sector enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has received Letters of Award for the development of Solar Power Projects of capacity 1,352 MW in Maharashtra
• The Indian economy will transition to an upper middle-income country by FY36, reaching $15 trillion mark by FY47, India Ratings and Research (Ind-Ra)
• The coal sector aims to ramp up renewable energy capacity to over 9 GW by the year 2030, signalling a profound commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship

CURRENT AFFAIRS: BANKING AND ECONOMY

• Development bank, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has received $24.5 million from Green Climate Fund (GCF) for its maiden first anchored project, Avaana Sustainability Fund (ASF)’ valued at $120 million.
• Tata Sons’ initial public offer (IPO) has been in focus for the past week.
• On the occasion of International Women’s Day (March 08,2024), Bank of Baroda has announced attractive offers and benefits for its women account holders on the opening of either a bob Mahila Shakti Savings Account or a bob Women Power Current Account – accounts designed specifically for women.
• Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) barred JM Financial, a registered merchant banker, from acting as a lead manager for any new public issue of debt securities.
• The World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors has approved the Assam Resilient Rural Bridges Program, aimed at enhancing connectivity for over 1.8 million people residing in rural areas of Assam, India, particularly during extreme weather conditions.
• The Capital markets regulator Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) introduced a third settlement scheme for entities involved in reversal trades in the stock options segment on BSE in 2014 and 2015.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred exclusive agreements between banks and card networks and has allowed customers to choose the network at the time of issue under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed that 30 banks are facilitating people to search their unclaimed deposits/accounts through Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access inforMation (UDGAM) portal, and the remaining banks are in the process of getting on-boarded.
• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is actively exploring strategies to stabilise market share dynamics on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased its gold reserves in January after a two-month hiatus.
• Infibeam Avenues Ltd shares surged more than 9% in trade after the company announced that it received the final authorisation for operating as an Online Payment Aggregator from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank Indonesia (BI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Mumbai for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies viz. the Indian Rupee (INR) and the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for cross-border transactions.
• Leading global rating agency, Moody’s, has raised the bar for India’s economic prowess, revising its GDP growth forecast for the fiscal year 2023-24 to an impressive 8 percent.
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has tightened norms for credit and debit cards used for business accounts. The banking regulator has told business card issuers to put in place an effective mechanism to monitor the end use of

• The Finance Ministry has announced that the interest rates for small savings schemes for the upcoming quarter of April-June 2024 will remain the same as the rates applicable in the previous quarter (January-March 2024).
• NPCI International Payments (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has entered into an agreement with Nepal-based payment network Fonepay Payment Service, for cross-border Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions between India and Nepal.
• Star Health, headquartered in Chennai,Tamil Nadu has achieved a significant milestone in the insurance industry by becoming the first standalone health insurance company to settle over 1 crore claims since its establishment in 2006.
• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved to release an additional instalment of Dearness Allowance (DA) to Central Government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) to pensioners w.e.f.Jan 2024 representing an increase of 4% over the existing rate of 46% of the Basic Pay/Pension, to compensate against price rise.

• NPCI International Payments (NIPL), the international arm of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has agreed with Nepal-based payment network Fonepay Payment Service, for cross-border UPI transactions between India and Nepal.
• Coal India Limited (CIL), the world’s largest coal-producing company, has inked two Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) with entities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, indicating advanced discussions

• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has issued regulations to amend the REIT Regulations 2014, establishing guidelines for the creation of Small and Medium Real Estate Investment Trusts, or SM REITs.
• Egypt is set to receive a $3 billion loan from the World Bank following an initial agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to expand the IMF’s loan arrangement, part of a larger $20 billion package from various international partners.
• Leading private general insurer Bajaj Allianz General Insurance launched “Insurance Samjho”, a Gen AI-powered bot designed to simplify insurance complexities for customers.
• Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Chairperson Deepak Mohanty has launched a user-friendly web application developed by Zerodha Broking Limited, designed to simplify access to the National Pension System (NPS) for subscribers.
• RBL Bank unveils the GO Savings Account, featuring a zero balance requirement, to encourage savings and enhance banking accessibility.
• According to the Annual Report of Ombudsman Schemes released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Customer complaints with the Reserves Bank Ombudsman were up by 68% in 2022-23.
• L&T Finance, L&T Infra Credit, and 5 other non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) have surrendered their certificates of registration (CoR) to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Non-banking financial company (NBFC) L&T Finance Holdings Limited (LTFH) had signed a financing pact with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for $125 million to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas [located between the outer limits of urban and rural environment] in India, particularly women borrowers.
• The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) plans to implement a T+0 (same day) settlement cycle for the cash segment from March 28 on an optional basis, while instantaneous settlement will be effective from March 2025.
• IndusInd Bank announced the launch of its contactless payments wearables, ‘Indus PayWear,’ India’s first All-in-One tokenizable wearables for both debit and credit cards exclusively on Mastercard, with the offering to be extended to other card networks shortly.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS

• Yatin Bhaskar Duggal from Haryana won the first prize in the National Youth Parliament Festival, 2024, while Vaishna Pitchai from Tamil Nadu won the second prize and Kanishka Sharma from Rajasthan the third prize
• India has been bestowed with the prestigious measles and rubella champion award for its exemplary efforts in combating these diseases
• The 96th Academy Awards ceremony, which was presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, took place on March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of BK Divakara as a Whole-Time Director (Executive Director) of CSB Bank for 3 years.
• Cloud software major SAP announced the appointment of Manish Prasad as President and Managing Director for SAP Indian Subcontinent.
• Insurtech unicorn Acko has elevated its chief underwriting officer, Animesh Das, to the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its subsidiary entity–ACKO General Insurance—as Sanjeev Srinivasan takes the board role.
• LTI Mindtree’s Chief Financial Officer, Vinit Teredesai, has announced his resignation from the company effective April 24, 2024. The Board of Directors has appointed Vipul Chandra as the new CFO, effective April 25, 2024.
• Asif Ali Zardari, the Co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), has secured his second term as Pakistan’s 14th President, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s history, particularly in a context marked by past military interventions.
• Sudha Murty,73, former chairperson of Infosys Foundation and philanthropist, has been nominated to the Rajya Sabha by President Droupadi Murmu, becoming the 12th nominated member in the Upper House of Parliament.
• Rajendra Prasad Goyal, Director (Finance), NHPC has taken over the additional charge of the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower company and a Schedule ‘A’ Enterprise of Government of India (GoI).
• Mr. Ashwani Kumar, Partner at Victor Forgings, Jalandhar, has been unanimously elected as the new President of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO).
• Shri AS Rajeev has been appointed as Vigilance Commissioner in the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) by the Hon’ble President of India through a warrant dated 9th February 2024, under the power vested under Section 4 (1) of the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003.

• Nayab Singh Saini, the Haryana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief and a prominent Other Backward Classes (OBC) leader, has been sworn in as the 11th Chief Minister of Haryana following the resignation of Manohar Lal Khattar.
• Shri Kishor Makwana assumed the charge of Chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) in New Delhi .
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a 6-month extension in the service of Vinay Mohan Kwatra as Foreign Secretary.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: MOUS AND AGREEMENT

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank Indonesia (BI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies — the Indian Rupee (INR) and the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for cross-border transactions
• Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, an MoU was signed between CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun and UCOST under the aegis of the “Adarsh Champawat” mission
• The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with SignAble Communications
• In a pivotal move towards enhancing the empowerment and skill development of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Electronics Sector Skills Council of India
• To provide immediate assistance to accident victims and strengthen the Incident Management System (IMS) on the National Highways, NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HLL Lifecare Limited, a Public Sector Undertaking under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare
• The Ministry of Defence has signed a ₹200 crore contract for anti-drone systems for the Indian Army and Indian Air Force (IAF) with Big Bang Boom Solutions Private Limited (BBBS).
• The protocol for establishment of the Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between India and Dominican Republic was signed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MIREX) of Dominican Republic at Santo Domingo.
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) and the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to work together to encourage innovation and advance the automotive and electric vehicle (EV) sector

CURRENT AFFAIRS: RANKING AND REPORTS

• Indian government bond market participants informed they expect inflows of less than $5 billion from the recent inclusion in the Bloomberg Index Services, which is unlikely to have any material impact on bond yields.
• Adani Electricity Mumbai has topped the chart in the performance ranking of power distribution companies for 2022-23

CURRENT AFFAIRS: DEFENCE NEWS

• The Indian Navy commissioned Indian Naval Ship (INS) Jatayu, at Minicoy Island in the Lakshadweep Islands, its second base in Lakshadweep after INS Dweeprakshak in
• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kolkata mission-deployed in the Gulf of Aden responded to a request from MSC Sky II, a Liberian-flagged Container Vessel, which was reportedly attacked by a drone/ missile, at about 1900 h (IST), approximately 90 nm South East of Aden.

• The first edition of the Biannual Naval Commanders’ Conference 2024 was conducted from 05 to 08 March 2024.
• Marking a significant step in bolstering bilateral cooperation between the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) and the United States Coast Guard (USCG), the USCG Ship Bertholf reached Port Blair for a joint exercise with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
• A defence cooperation agreement has been signed between China and the Maldives to foster stronger bilateral ties.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

• The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is planning to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to deploy V-SAT stations on a pilot basis for around 80 tribal villages in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra to bring Internet services there.

• Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated the IN-SPACe Technical Centre at the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in the Bopal area of Ahmedabad.
• Alphabet Inc-owned Google has joined hands with the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent spread of false information, promote authorised content and label AI-generated data during the upcoming general elections.
• India had successfully tested a new Agni-5 missile capable of carrying multiple warheads and striking multiple targets.

CURRENT AFFAIRS: ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS

• The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the transaction inter alia envisaging the acquisition of 59.25% shareholding in Maini Precision Products Limited (MPPL) by Ring Plus Aqua Limited (RPAL).

CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS

• The Minister Hardeep S Puri inaugurated the 5th ONGC Para Games being held in Thyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi from 8-10 March 2024.
• Indian pair Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have clinched their second French Open Men’s doubles Badminton title
• India crushed England in Dharamsala to win the five-match series 4-1, Rohit Sharma’s side claimed the top spot in the ICC Test rankings, overtaking Australia in the latest rankings released by the world governing body for Cricket in Dubai

CURRENT AFFAIRS: OBITUARIES

• Akira Toriyama, the creator of the widely popular “Dragon Ball” comics and anime, has passed away at the age of 68.

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