Carnet Affairs January 2024 part 1
If you find current affairs of January 2024, now your search is finish now .As we bid farewell to the first month of 2024, let’s take a quick look at some of the noteworthy events that shaped the world in January. From global advancements to notable incidents, here’s a brief overview of what happened in the opening month of the year.
Important day
| Date(National Events) | Important Days in January 2024 | Theme |
| 9th January | Pravasi Bharatiya Divas | Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal |
| 11th January | Death anniversary of Lal Bahadur Shastri | NA |
| 11th – 17th January | National Road Safety Week | Be a road safety hero |
| 23rd January | Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti | NA |
| 24th January | National Girl Child Day | NA |
| 25th January | National Tourism Day | Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories |
| 26th January | Republic Day | NA |
| 28th January | Birth Anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai | NA |
| 30th January | Shaheed Diwas | NA |
Carnet Affairs
Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS) becomes mandatory for MGNREGS workers
Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) gives a legal guarantee of a hundred days of
wage employment in a year to adult members of a rural household willing for unskilled manual work.
MGNREGS has utilized APBS since 2017 and is made mandatory now(from 1st January).
Government may consider exemption on a case-to-case basis if any Gram Panchayat has either a technical problem or an
Aadhaar-related problem.
ABPS working
ABPS uses the worker’s unique 12-digit Aadhaar number as their financial
address.
To be paid under ABPS,
♦ A worker’s Aadhaar details must be seeded to her job card;
♦ Her Aadhaar details must be seeded to her bank account;
♦ Her Aadhaar must be mapped with the National Payments Corporation
of India (NCPI) database.
Significance of the move
Curbing corruption by weeding out fake beneficiaries.
Will ensure speedy payments and reduce rejection (due to change of bank account of beneficiaries).
Other changes in recent times to make MGNREGS efficient
National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) app to capture the attendance of MGNREGS workers
SECURE application for estimating preparation and approval for MGNREGS works.
Geo-MGNREGA for geo-tagging of all completed works under MGNREGS.
Project “UNNATI” to upgrade the skill base of the MGNREGS workers and other changes to make MGNREGS efficient.
Carnet Affairs
The government of India constitutes the Sixteenth Finance Commission
It was constituted with the approval of the President of India in pursuance of Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
The government appointed Arvind Panagariya (former vice-chairman of NITI Aayog) as the chairman and members would be
notified separately.
The Commission’s work involves redressing the vertical imbalances between the taxation powers and expenditure
responsibilities of the center and the States respectively and equalization of all public services across the States.
The commission shall make recommendations on the following
Distribution between the Union and States of the net proceeds of taxes and allocation between the States of such proceeds.
Principles for governing the grants-in-aid and revenues of the state under Article 275 of the Constitution.
Measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats and
Municipalities based on state finance commission recommendation.
The commission may review present arrangements for financing Disaster Management initiatives, concerning the funds
constituted under Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The 16th FC recommendations, upon acceptance by the government, would cover the period of five years commencing April
1, 2026.
Carnet Affairs
ISRO’s PSLV-C58 Successfully Launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) and 10 other Payloads from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota
With XpoSat’s successful launch, India has become second country after United States to send an observatory to study astronomical sources, such as black holes, neutron stars etc.
The XPoSat MissionCarnet Affairs
About: First dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO designed to investigate the polarisation of intense X-ray sources in
space.
♦ Polarization is a characteristic of waves, including electromagnetic waves like X-rays, that describes the orientation of the oscillations of the wave in a particular direction.
♦ In the context of X-rays, polarization can provide valuable information about the properties of the source and the environment through which the X-rays have travelled. Orbital Details: XPoSat operates in a Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of about 650 km, with a low inclination of around 6 degrees.
Payloads: It carries two payloads namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing).
Mission Life: Satellite is expected to be operational for approximately 5 years.
During the mission, the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3)experiment was executed to meet the objective of 10 other payloads
Carnet Affairs
Making of The Constitution: Shocking Facts
A Major Tsunami Warning Issued in Japan after a 7.6 magnitude Earthquake struck its Central Region
About Tsunami
Tsunami is a Japanese term meaning “harbour wave”.
♦ Tsunamis are often incorrectly called tidal waves; they have no relation to the daily ocean tides. Tsunami is a series of enormous waves created by an underwater disturbance usually associated with earthquakes occurring below or near the ocean.
♦ Volcanic eruptions, submarine landslides, and coastal rock falls can also generate a tsunami, as can a large asteroid impacting the ocean.Carnet Affairs
They originate from a vertical movement of the sea floor with the consequent displacement of water mass. Earthquakes induced Tsunami
Most strong earthquakes occur in subduction zones where an ocean plate slides under a continental plate or another younger ocean plate.
All earthquakes do not cause tsunamis. There are few conditions necessary for an earthquake to cause a tsunami:
♦ Earthquake must be strong, at least magnitude 6.5 on the Richter scale.
♦ Earthquake must occur at shallow depth – less than 70 km below the surface of the Earth.
Tsunami Risk Management In India Early Warning System for mitigation through Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad.
Tsunami Risk Management Guidelines by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Carnet Affairs
BRICS expanded its membership to include five new nations
BRICS is an important group comprising of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. New members include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Argentina has decided to withdraw from its planned entry to BRICS.
The last expansion of the BRICS occurred in 2010 when South Africa joined the group.
Significance of expansion Will increase multipolarity and will challenge the established Western-led order.
Will raise South-South cooperation among developing countries.
♦ This will help India in advancing its claim as the leader of global south. Will help to make a collective voice for the restructuring of global institutions. Increase in oil production among its members due to the inclusion of oil producing countries. Challenges with the BRICS
The divergence between countries with respect to their world view for example India sees BRICS as non-western whereas China sees it as anti-western).
Various economic and political sanctions on members may cause economic disruptions.Carnet Affairs
Internal trust deficit among the member states and lack of common understanding of standards, criteria, and procedure of expansion. Overlapping with other groups like IBSA
(India, Brazil, and South Africa).
Carnet Affairs
Union Finance Minister (FM) Chairs Meeting to Review
Public Sector Banks (PSBs)
FM asked PSBs to concentrate on fraud prevention activities and willful defaults.
FM Suggested Following Fraud Prevention Activities :
Consumer education for protection from malicious fraud calls.
Efforts for timely identification of accounts as fraud and investigation.Carnet Affairs
Effort in recovery from accounts declared as fraud.
Monitor early warning signals to check potential frauds.
With respect to Wilful Defaults FM called for :
Performance review of counsel representing PSBs to ensure better legal action against defaulters.
Adopt responsible lending practices.
Enhanced due diligence before loan disbursement, regular monitoring of large loan accounts, and undertake swift and thorough legal action.
Measures Taken to Curb Incidence of Frauds and Wilful Defaults in
Banks :
“Framework for timely detection, reporting, investigation etc.
relating to large value bank frauds” for comprehensive checking of PSB’s non-performing assets (NPAs).
Central Fraud Registry set up by RBI as searchable online central database.
Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 to deter economic offenders.
Establishing National Financial Reporting Authority for enforcement of auditing standards.
Publishing photographs of wilful defaulters, in terms of RBI’s instructions.Carnet Affairs
Carnet Affairs
New Packaging Rules
Recently, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has made printing of ‘date of manufacturing’ and ‘unit sale price’ mandatory on all packaged commodities effective from January 1, 2024.
For example, a packaged wheat flour of 2.5 kg will have a unit sale price per kg, along with the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).
Earlier, companies were given the option to either print the ‘date of manufacturing’ or ‘date of import’ or date of packaging on the
packaged commodities.
India and Pakistan Exchanged list of
Nuclear Installations
Exchanges of list happened under Agreement on the Prohibition of Attack against Nuclear Installations and Facilities between India and Pakistan.Carnet Affairs
The agreement was signed in 1988 and entered into force in 1991.
Agreement mandates two countries to inform each other of nuclear installations and facilities to be covered under the agreement on first of January of every calendar year.
This is 33rd consecutive exchange of such lists, the first one having taken place on January 1, 1992.
Carnet Affairs
Railway for Persons with Disabilities(PwDs)
The government has released draft guidelines to make Railways more user-friendly for PwDs as part of “Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan”.
They comply with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. Guidelines suggestions in the draft
Accessibility features such as text-to-speech and user-friendly pictograms for website.
Low-height ticket counters with accessibility signage and accessible help booths manned by “Divyangjan Sahayaks”.
Development of a dedicated mobile app and a one-click template.
Health tax
Public health researchers recommended implementing a health tax ranging from 20% to 30%, in addition to the Goods and Services Tax (GST).
Currently, sugar is taxed at 18% GST, sugar-sweetened beverages attract 28% GST and a 12% additional cess, Need
India is the largest consumer of sugar in the world.Carnet Affairs
An average Indian consumes five times the WHO recommended threshold for free sugar intake per year.
Impact of imposing health tax: It will help control obesity, tooth decay, risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers.
Reverse Flip
Many Startups are reverse flipping ie. moving their overseas holding entities to India.
‘Reverse flipping’ : It is a term used to describe the trend of overseas start-ups shifting their domicile to India and listing on Indian stock exchanges.
Reasons for Reverse Flipping:
Capitalize on India’s large and growing economy Access to deeper pools of venture capital The Economic Survey 2022-23 recognized the concept of reverse flipping and proposed ways to accelerate the process, such as simplifying corporate laws and capital movements, simplification of taxation, etc.
Carnet Affairs
West Bengal Notified State Day & State Song
West Bengal government notified Poila Boisakh as State Day and Banglar Mati Banglar Jal as State Song.
Poila Boisakh is the first day of the month of Boisakh of the Bengali calendar year and is named as Bangala Divas.
Poila Boisakh is an important festival celebrated by Bengali communities across West Bengal, Tripura, Jharkhand, and Assam. In 2023 it was celebrated on April 15th.
Banglar Mati Banglar Jal song is written by Rabindranath Tagore.Carnet Affairs
Tibetan Thangka Paintings
The painting is part of ‘Rahul Collection’, a provisional gift made to Patna Museum by prominent scholar.
Thangka painting is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist art form which depicts Buddhist deities.
Thangkas have a variety of uses, as a means of gaining merit, in death rituals, during meditation, and in Buddhist ceremonies.
It is believed that it flourished about 1000 years back in Tibet as culmination of confluence of Indian, Nepalese and Chinese traditions
Carnet Affairs
