Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 18, 2024

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

• The government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 23 million loan agreement to enhance access to quality fintech education, research, and innovation at the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City.
  • GIFT City is an initiative of the Centre and the Gujarat government to foster India’s financial services and fintech ecosystem.
• As per the loan agreement, a fintech institute will be set up at GIFT City.
• The project will establish International Fintech Institute (IFI) to strengthen fintech education, boost startup success rates, and drive fintech research and innovation.
• The IFI, to be established in partnership with globally reputed institutes and universities, will offer industry-aligned fintech training programmes that meet international standards.
• The institute will strengthen innovation and entrepreneurship by supporting startups, especially women-led, through incubation and acceleration services.
• It will also collaborate with industry and venture capital funds to support the growth of fintech startups.

ANSWER: C

• Nearly 100 jails across the country have been certified as ‘Eat Right Campus’ by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), marking a significant milestone in its goal of promoting safe and healthy eating habits within different campuses.
  • Uttar Pradesh had the most certified jails, followed by Punjab, Bihar, and Madhya Pradesh.
• The certification is based on compliance with key parameters like basic hygiene criteria, steps to ensure the provision of healthy food, and efforts towards building awareness about local and seasonal food.
• This initiative falls under FSSAI’s Eat Right India movement and aims to promote safe, healthy and sustainable food in different workplaces and institutions, including jails.
• In addition to jails, more than 2,900 workplaces nationwide have also been acknowledged as Eat Right campuses by the FSSAI.

ANSWER: B

• The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways announced a major investment of more than ₹645 crores to develop 10 waterway projects under the flagship Sagarmala programme.
• The projects will be implemented with 100% financial assistance from the central government to enhance terminals and riverine infrastructure along the river Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2) to boost connectivity and foster economic growth.

 ABOUT SAGARMALA PROJECT

• The Sagarmala Programme is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways to promote port-led development in the country.
• The programme envisages unlocking the potential of waterways and the coastline to minimize infrastructural investments required to meet these targets.
• It aims to harness India’s 7,517 km long coastline, 14,500 km of potentially navigable waterways and strategic location on key international maritime trade routes.
• Overall set of projects are divided into 5 pillars and 24 categories as below-

ANSWER: D

• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has appointed his longtime economic adviser Mohammed Mustafa to be the next prime minister in the face of US pressure to reform the Palestinian Authority as part of Washington’s post-war vision for Gaza.
• Mustafa, a US-educated economist and political independent, now faces the task of forming a new government for the PA, which has limited powers in parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

ANSWER: A

• The Defence ministry inked a contract worth over Rs 2,890 crore with state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) for mid-life upgrade(MLU) of 25 Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy.
• Under the project, the HAL will incorporate state-of-the-art avionics systems and sensors onboard the aircraft.
• The upgrade will significantly enhance the operational capability of the Dornier aircraft of the Indian Navy to perform primary roles of maritime surveillance, electronic intelligence and boosting maritime domain awareness.
• The project will generate employment of 180,000 man-days over a span of six and a half years.

ANSWER: D

• The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), South Asia to set-up a Gender Impact Lab for inclusive development of rural poor women.
• The lab will conduct new research and institutionalise data use within Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) for driving women-led development.
  • DAY-NRLM is one of the largest community mobilisation efforts in the world, organising more than 10.04 crore women into over 90.76 lakh self-help groups.
  • The programme promotes financial inclusion, digital literacy, sustainable livelihoods and social development interventions.
  • Above all, it empowers these women to lead dignified lives.

ANSWER: B

• Uday Bhatia, founder of Uday Electric, and Manasi Gupta, founder of Huesofthemind Foundation, are the winners among the worldwide recipients of Diana Legacy Awards, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Diana Award charity set up in memory of the late Princess of Wales.
• The Diana Legacy Award is a prestigious accolade for exceptional young people from around the world for their social action or humanitarian work.
• It was established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, and her belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better.
• The Award has the support of both of her sons, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of Sussex.

ANSWER: D

• A total of 38 lakh voters will cast their vote in the Lok Sabha elections for four seats and Assembly byelections for six segments(Dharamsala, Barsar, Lahaul-Spiti, Sunajpur, Gagret and Kutlehar) to be held simultaneously on June 1.
• There are 56,38,422 voters comprising 28,79,200 men, 27,59,187 women and 35 third gender.
• There will be 1,38,918 first-time voters (75,001 male and 63,916 female) in the 18 to 19 years’ age group in these elections.
• The total number of voters with physical disability is 56,320, besides 60,995 voters above the age of 85 years.