ANSWER: C

• The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) has decided to keep the policy repo rate unchanged at 5 per cent as retail inflation continues to be above its target of 4 per cent.
• This is the seventh consecutive meeting that the MPC has maintained a status quo on the repo rate.
• This is the first monetary policy statement of the current financial year 2024-25.
• The RBI has maintained India’s fiscal year 2025 GDP growth target at 7%.
• The Consumer Price Inflation (CPI) FY2025 forecast unchanged at 5%.
• Policy Rates:
  • Repo Rate: 6.5%
  • Standing Deposit Facility Rate: 6.25%
  • Marginal Standing Facility Rate: 6.75%
  • Bank Rate: 6.75%
  • Fixed Reverse Repo Rate: 3.35%

ABOUT MPC:

• The Monetary Policy Committee was constituted under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
• MPC is a six-member committee comprising three members from RBI including Governor Shaktikanta Das and three members appointed by the Central government.

ANSWER: A

• Astronomers are looking forward to opening a new window on the universe by posting high-resolution telescopes on the moon, and in orbit around it.
• There are numerous proposals to do this from astronomers around the world — including one from India called

ABOUT PRATUSH TELESCOPE:

• Probing ReionizATion of the Universe using Signal from Hydrogen (PRATUSH) is a radio telescope to be sited on the moon’s far side.
• It is being built by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bengaluru with active collaboration from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It aims to uncover the Cosmic Dawn of the Universe, answering questions about the formation of the first stars, their nature, and the light they emitted.
• The project focuses on studying the Cosmic Dawn and Epoch of Reionization (EoR) using radiation from neutral hydrogen gas, which emits a signal at a 21-cm wavelength.
• This signal can provide insights into the early Universe’s transition from neutral to ionized states.
• PRATUSH will carry instruments designed to detect this weak signal, operating over a frequency band of 30-250 MHz.
• Its observations will be free from ground-based interference, enabling more accurate measurements.

ANSWER: A

• The Delhi High Court has appointed a former Delhi High Court judge, Justice Najmi Waziri as chairman of an internal departmental committee of city officials dealing with the protection of forests in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.
• The Bench of Justice Tushar Rao Gedela was considering an application filed through amicus curiae Aditya Narayan Prasad. The application sought a modification of its December 21, 2023

ABOUT COMMITTEE

• The Delhi High Court in December last year had ordered the setting up of an internal department on the protection of Delhi’s forest. The committee was to consist of the chief conservator of forest, the conservator of forest and deputy conservator of forest (protecting and monitoring) and the deputy conservator of forest concerned with the preservation of deemed forests.
• The Court directed the committee to take concrete steps for preservation, protection, reclamation and enhancement of both protected and deemed forests.
• The court ordered all the concerned departments of the Delhi government to cooperate with the committee and asked the Delhi government to provide secretarial facilities and assistance to Justice Waziri.

ABOUT JUSTICE NAJMI WAZIRI

• Justice Waziri of Delhi High Court was famous as the green judge of Delhi. During his tenure as a judge he passed several orders on increasing the green cover of Delhi. He issued at least 150 judgments where the funds deposited by defaulting litigants as costs were used to plant trees.
• His order over five years in various cases led to the planting of over 370,000 trees in various parts of Delhi which also contributed in developing two parks in Delhi. He retired from the Delhi Court in July 2023.

FOREST IN NCT DELHI

• According to the Forest Department of Delhi the total recorded forest area in Delhi is 85 sq. km which is 5.73% of the geographic area Delhi. The Reserved and Protected Forests constituted 76% and 8.24% of the total forest area respectively.

ANSWER: B

• National Maritime Day is celebrated every year on April 5 to honour the individuals for their lifetime distinguished and exceptional achievements in the Indian maritime sector.
• It also commemorates the inaugural voyage of the first Indian-owned ship. This year, the Government of India will celebrate the National Maritime Day alongside the Merchant Navy Week from March 30 to April 5.
• The theme for National Maritime Day 2024 is “Navigating the future: safety first!”

HISTORY:

• On 5th April 1919, SS Loyalty owned by Scindia Steam Navigation Company Ltd, started its journey marking India’s historic move toward maritime trade and commerce. The merchant ship started its maiden voyage from the coasts of Mumbai and sailed to London.
• The growth of maritime commerce led to the establishment of the Ministry of Shipping in 1962. In 1964, the government declared April 5 as National Maritime Day to honour the historic SS Loyalty. India became a member of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 1949 strengthening its presence in waters.

ANSWER: C

• The Indian Army has started the induction of control and reporting systems under ‘Project Akashteer’ to bolster its air defence capabilities.

ABOUT PROJECT AKASHTEER:

• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Ministry of Defence had signed a contract for the procurement of Automated Air Defence Control & Reporting System ‘Project Akashteer’ worth Rs 1,982 crore for the Indian Army in April 2023.
• It is designed and manufactured by Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL).
• Akash Teer will integrate the Indian Army’s sensors, and weapon systems.
• It will form a seamless master network, which will fully integrate the full spectrum of air operations by any of the forces.
• Project Akashteer will empower the Air Defence units of the Indian Army with an indigenous, state-of-the-art capability, to effectively operate in an integrated manner.
• Akashteer will enable monitoring of low-level airspace over the battle areas of the Indian Army and effectively control the Ground Based Air Defence Weapon Systems.
• The Army has declared the year 2024 as the ‘Year of Technological Absorption’.

ANSWER: A

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) pompously celebrated the anniversary of its establishment on April 4, 75 years ago. On this day in 1949, western nations gathered in Washington, DC, to commit their nations to one another’s defence.

ABOUT NATO:

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was established on April 4, 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
• The North Atlantic Treaty also known as the Washington Treaty was the first peacetime military alliance between the United States and non-western countries.
• NATO’s main headquarters are located in Brussels, Belgium.
• NATO Member:
  • The original 12 founding members of NATO were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
  • NATO has expanded since its founding, with new member countries joining in multiple rounds. The alliance currently consists of 32-member countries.
• NATO’s primary mission is collective defence, as outlined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty. This article stipulates that an attack on one-member country will be considered an attack on all, and the members will respond collectively.
• NATO members have committed to spending at least 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) every year on defence.

ANSWER: B

• The government has garnered Rs 16,507 crore by selling minority stake in state-owned companies in 2023-24 fiscal, lower than what was projected in its revised estimates.
• During the 2023-24 fiscal, which ended March 31, the government sold stakes in 10 central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) through offer for sale (OFS).
• Share sale in Coal India fetched Rs 4,186 crore, while in NHPC and NLC India it garnered Rs 2,488 crore and Rs 2,129 crore, respectively. The government raised Rs 858 crore though initial public offering of IREDA.
• The government also sold shares in RVNL, SJVN, IRCON International, HUDCO and earned remittances from SUUTI.
• The budget had pegged disinvestment proceeds for 2023-24 fiscal at Rs 51,000 crore. However, the revised estimates (RE) on February 1, 2024, did away with separate head for disinvestment receipts.

ANSWER: B

• Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), India’s largest and one of the world’s leading renewable energy (RE) companies, has surpassed 10,000 megawatts (MW) of operational portfolio, delivering reliable, affordable, and clean power to the national grid.
• AGEL’s operational portfolio consists of 7,393 MW solar, 1,401 MW wind and 2,140 MW wind-solar hybrid capacity.
• The milestone is a testament to AGEL and its development partners firmly moving towards the goal of 45,000 MW renewable energy by 2030.
• AGEL’s 10,934 MW operational portfolio will power more than 5.8 million homes and avoid about 21 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
• AGEL is developing the world’s largest renewable energy project of 30,000 MW on barren land at Khavda in Kutch, Gujarat. Built across 538 sq km, it is five times the size of Paris and almost as large as Mumbai city.

ANSWER: D

• ‘International Conscience Day’ is celebrated every year on 5 April. This day is celebrated to remind people to introspect, follow their conscience and do the right thing.
• The theme of International Day of Conscience this year 2024 is ‘Promoting a Culture of Peace with Love and Conscience’.
• The first ‘International Day of Conscience’ was celebrated in 2020 by the United Nations General Assembly.

ANSWER: B

• Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as the president of Egypt for a third term. He will remain the president until 2030.
• The Egyptian President has a six-year term.
• President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi took the oath of office at the headquarters of the Egyptian Parliament in the New Administrative Capital.