Current Affairs 24 July 2024

National Affairs

MoC Minister Releases ‘The Future is Now’ as Theme for 8th IMC

On July 19, 2024, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia from the Ministry of Communications (MoC) announced the theme for the 8th India Mobile Congress (IMC) as ‘The Future is Now’. This theme emphasizes India’s key role in technological advancements. The IMC 2024 is set to take place from October 15-18 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. During the event, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) also announced the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Excellence Awards 2023 for outstanding contributions in various telecom sectors.

About Ministry of Communications (MoC):

• Union Minister: Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia (Constituency: Guna-Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh)
• Minister of State: Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar (Constituency: Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)

Government of India Upgrades IRCTC to Schedule ‘A’ CPSE

The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), previously a “Mini-Ratna” Schedule B Central Public Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Railways, has been upgraded to a ‘Schedule A’ CPSE. This upgrade coincides with IRCTC’s 25th anniversary, highlighting its strong performance and commitment to excellence in the hospitality, travel, and tourism sectors. Between FY 2021-22 and FY 2023-24, IRCTC achieved a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.63% in total income and 29.80% in profit after tax.

About Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC):

• Chairman: Sanjay Kumar Jain
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• Established: 1999

AIM and WIPO Signed a JLoI towards Building Joint Innovation Programs in Global South

On July 22, 2024, the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) of NITI Aayog signed a Joint Letter of Intent (JLoI) with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to develop programs for innovation, entrepreneurship, and Intellectual Property (IP) for countries in the Global South. The signing was presided over by Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan at the NITI Aayog office in New Delhi.

About Atal Innovation Mission (AIM):

• Director: Dr. Chintan Vaishnav
• Headquarters: New Delhi, Delhi
• Established: 2016

About World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO):

• Director-General: Daren Tang (Singapore)
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
• Established: 1967

NFDC & Netflix India Signed MoU to Launch ‘The Voicebox’, Upskilling Program for Indian Voice-Over Artists

The National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and Netflix India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch “The Voicebox”, an upskilling program for voice-over artists in India. The program will offer training in multiple languages and is sponsored by the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity.

About The Voicebox:

• Training Partner: Pearl Academy
• Special Project: “Azaadi ki Amrit Kahaniya”

International Affairs

Two SECL Blocks Listed in World’s Top 10 Largest Coal Mines: Gevra Secured 2nd and Kusmunda 4th

Gevra and Kusmunda coal mines, operated by South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) in Chhattisgarh, have been ranked 2nd and 4th respectively in the list of the world’s top 10 largest coal mines by production volume.

About SECL:

• Chairman and Managing Director: Prem Sagar Mishra
• Headquarters: Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh
• Formed: 1985

Banking & Finance

Tata AIA Ranked 6th Globally in Global MDRT Rankings 2024

Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited has secured the 6th position globally in the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) rankings for 2024. Tata AIA has the highest number of MDRT-qualified advisors in India, with a significant increase in female qualifiers.

About Tata AIA Life Insurance Company Limited:

• Managing Director & CEO: Mr. Venkatachalam Iyer
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

IndusInd Bank & Inspire Institute of Sport Collaborates to Launch ‘Wrestle for Glory’ CSR Program

IndusInd Bank Limited has partnered with the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) to launch the ‘Wrestle for Glory’ initiative, supporting 50 talented female wrestling athletes from across India with fully-funded scholarships.

Fusion MicroFinance Limited Renamed as ‘Fusion Finance Limited’

Fusion MicroFinance Limited has been renamed to ‘Fusion Finance Limited’ effective from July 9, 2024. The company provides financial services to poor women in India.

Awards & Recognitions

Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index 2024: Google, Tata Motors, Amazon, Jio, & Apple Named Most Inclusive Brands in India

The Brand Inclusion Index (BII) 2024 by Kantar has named Google, Tata Motors, Amazon, Jio, and Apple as the top 5 most inclusive brands in India.

ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 Team Won Prestigious IAF World Space Award 2024

The Chandrayaan-3 mission team of ISRO has won the World Space Award 2024 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) for its historic achievement of soft landing near the lunar South Pole.

Appointments & Resignations

RBI Approves Appointment of Krishnan Venkat Subramanian as MD & CEO of Federal Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Krishnan Venkat Subramanian as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Federal Bank Limited for a period of 3 years starting from September 23, 2024.

Kristen Michal Appointed as Estonia’s New Prime Minister

Kristen Michal has been sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Estonia, succeeding Kaja Kallas.

Science & Technology

European Space Agency Introduced Ramses, a Mission to Study Asteroid Apophis

The European Space Agency (ESA) plans to launch the ‘Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses)’ in 2028 to study the asteroid 99942 Apophis, which will pass close to Earth in April 2029.

Sports

Hungarian Grand Prix 2024: Oscar Piastri Secured First-Ever F1 Title

Oscar Piastri of McLaren won his first Formula 1 title at the Hungarian Grand Prix 2024, held at the Hungaroring in Budapest, Hungary.

Important Days

National Broadcasting Day 2024 – July 23

National Broadcasting Day is observed annually on July 23 to commemorate the establishment of the Indian Broadcasting Company (IBC) in 1927, marking the beginning of radio broadcasting in India.

State News

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy Launches ‘Rajiv Gandhi Civils Abhayahastam’ Scheme

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy launched the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Civils Abhayahastam’ scheme, providing financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to Civil Services aspirants from Telangana who qualify for the UPSC Mains exams.

Assam CM Launches Amrit Brikshya Andolan 2.0 App For Massive Tree Plantation Drive

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Amrit Brikshya Andolan 2.0 App to facilitate the state’s tree planting campaign, aiming to plant 3 crore saplings from August 1 to 15, 2024.