Current Affairs Today - Latest Current Affairs Questions 2024

Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways launches “Haritsagar” Green Port Guidelines to reduce carbon intensity at all major ports. Under these guidelines, various green interventions such as ship-to-shore power supply, electrification of port equipment, use of alternative fuels like green hydrogen/green ammonia/manol in port ships and green hydrogen/green ammonia refueling, etc. Increase in renewable energy etc. has been made available.

'Garba', the traditional dance form of Gujarat, was included in the list of intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO. The popular dance form has become the 15th cultural object of India to make it to the UNESCO list, two years after Kolkata's Durga Puja was last added to the prestigious list.

Bharat Bill Payments (BBPS), a platform created by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to digitize the country's large utility bill payments market, is increasingly being used to make loan payments and repay credit card dues. Just as utility bills are generated every month for consumers, EMIs (equated monthly installments) for borrowers are generated on a specific date every month. The customer can use any of the payment methods to repay the outstanding EMIs and this is where the BBPS platform is fast emerging as a popular tool.

A C-17 transport aircraft of the Indian Air Force landed an indigenously developed heavy platform, which can carry a maximum load of 16 tonnes, at a military area in Agra. This is the first time that the platform, having dimensions of 24 feet by eight feet with a load capacity of 16 tonnes, was dropped from an Indian Air Force aircraft. Indian Air Force C-17 airdropped Type V platform (24 feet) developed by ADRDE for the first time. Air Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE) is a premier defense research laboratory.

Tiriyani block of Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district of Telangana has topped the first Delta ranking of Aspirational Block Program (ABP) announced by NITI Aayog. The second place was given to Kaushambi block of Kaushambi district of Uttar Pradesh. The rankings were announced in a virtual event at NITI Aayog. The ranking of the blocks has been calculated based on the performance of the blocks in the month of June, 2023 and the progress achieved in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Europe has begun monitoring its imports of steel with the intention of discouraging products that undergo processes that result in high carbon emissions. The move is expected to hit Indian steel exporters that depend on polluting coking coal as feedstock to fire their furnaces. Although it has no immediate impact, Europe's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) has spurred a shift towards green steel in India. CBAM opened applications in its transitional phase from October 1, 2023.

According to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Central Government has approved the first urban flood mitigation project worth Rs 561.29 crore for 'Integrated Urban Flood Management' activities for the Chennai Basin Project. This is the first in a series of urban flood mitigation efforts and will help develop a comprehensive framework for urban flood management.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first Indian Art, Architecture and Design Biennial (IAADB) 2023 at the Red Fort. During the program, the Prime Minister also inaugurated the “Atmanirbhar Bharat Center for Design” and the Student Biennial – Samunnati at the Red Fort. He also launched a commemorative postage stamp.

State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has become the world's fourth-largest insurer, overtaking US-based MetLife and Prudential Financial Inc. According to the new ranking by capital markets company S&P Global, LIC is behind only Germany's Allianz SE, China's China Life Insurance (CLI) and Japan's Nippon Life Insurance.

The name of Bhajan Lal Sharma has been announced as the new Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He was also the state general secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party four times. 56-year-old Sharma has become MLA for the first time from Sanganer Assembly of Jaipur. He defeated Pushpendra Bhardwaj of Congress.