WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS

WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan)

DAYS AND WEEK

21 Jan Tripura, Manipur, and Meghalaya On 21 January 1972, the states of Tripura, Manipur, and
Foundation Day Meghalaya became full-fledged states under the North
Eastern Region (Re-organisation) Act, of 1971.
23rd Jan Parakram Diwas (Valor Day ) 127th Birth Anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose
24 January National Girl Child Day • Initiated by Ministry of Women and Child
Development in 2008
• as part of the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the
Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child) campaign,
which aims to promote gender equality and
eliminate gender-based discrimination
24 Jan International Day of Education Theme 2024 -“Learning for lasting peace.”
24 Jan Uttar Pradesh Foundation Day Theme 2024 - ‘Uttar Pradesh: Rich Spiritual and Cultural
Heritage’
January 25 14th National Voters Day ➢ National Voters Day is celebrated on January 25 every
year since 2011
➢ To mark the foundation day of the Election
Commission of India on 25th January 1950.
➢ 2024 Theme - ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For sure
25 Jan National Tourism Day Theme 2024 is 'Sustainable Journeys, Timeless Memories’.
25 Jan Himachal Pradesh Statehood Day It was on this day in 1971 that Himachal Pradesh became
the 18th state of India.

75th Republic Day

 Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950.
 2024 Twin Themes - ‘Viksit Bharat’ and ‘Bharat - Loktantra ki Matruka’
 Chief Guest - French President Emmanuel Macron
 President Droupadi Murmu approved 277 Gallantry awards on the eve of the 75th
Republic Day

75th Republic Day Parade 2024

 The parade was held at the Kartavya Path in Delhi, and started at Vijay
Chowk
 The parade was commanded by Parade Commander, Lieutenant General
Bhavnish Kumar
 The 2024 Republic Day parade began with a performance by the "Aavahan"
band, featuring 112 women artists playing Indian musical instruments. The
performance included music from the Sankh, Naadswaram, and Nagada.
 The parade also included a 95-member marching contingent and a 33-member band contingent from
France. French President Emmanuel Macron was the chief guest at the event.
 More than 200 women personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) participated in parade.
 The CRPF is the largest paramilitary force in the world
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

APPOINTMENT

DCB Bank MD & CEO Praveen Achuthan Kutty He will replace Murali Natrajan whose term ends on April 28,
2024
Director General of Senior IPS officer Daljit About Sashastra Seema Bal:
Sashastra Seema Bal Singh Chaudhary • Established in 1963
• The Sashastra Seema Bal, one of India’s Central
Armed Police Forces, is primarily responsible for
guarding the country’s borders with Nepal and
Bhutan

Justice Prasanna Bhalachandra Varale sworn in as Judge of Supreme Court

 Justice Varale was the Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court before his elevation to the Supreme Court
 There are currently 34 judges (including the Chief Justice). The maximum possible strength is 34.
 The Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President under clause (2) of Article 124 of the
Constitution
 According to the Constitution of India, the judges of the Supreme Court must retire at the age of 65.

AWARDS
Padma Awards for year 2024 announced
 Total 132 Padma Awards announced
 The list comprises 5 Padma Vibhushan, 17 Padma Bhushan, and 110 Padma Shri Awards.
 30 of the awardees are women
 8 persons from the category of Foreigners / NRI / PIO / OCI
 9 Posthumous awardees.

Padma Vibhushan
• Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu,
• Actors Chiranjeevi and Vyjayanthimala Bali,
• Bharatanatyam dancer Padma Subrahmanyam,
• Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of Sulabh International (posthumous)

Connect Us - 2
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

5 Padma Vibhushan Awards 2024 Winners

Padma Vibhushan is India’s 2nd highest civilian honors, after Bharat Ratna
S.No. Awardee Name Field State
1. Ms. Vyjayantimala Bali Art Tamil Nadu
2. Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi Art Andhra Pradesh
3. Shri M Venkaiah Naidu Public Affairs Andhra Pradesh
4. Shri Bindeshwar Pathak (posthumous) Social Work Bihar
5. Ms. Padma Subrahmanyam Art Tamil Nadu

Padma Bhushan
Posthumously Conferred:
 Late actor Vijayakant
 M. Fathima Beevi, the first female judge of the Supreme Court of India
 Satyabrata Mookherjee, former president of BJP in West Bengal,
 Togdan Rinpoche, spiritual leader in Ladakh

Young Liu, chairman of Taiwan’s Foxconn Group, has also been conferred with a Padma Bhushan.

 Actor Mithun Chakraborty;

 Singer Usha Uthup;
 Hindi music director Pyarelal Sharma (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal duo);
 O. Rajagopal, BJP leader from Kerala;
 Tejas Madhusudan Patel, cardiologist from Gujarat;
 Ram Naik, veteran BJP leader and former Uttar Pradesh Governor;
 Hormusji N. Cama, senior publisher leading the Gujarati newspaper Bombay Samachar;
 industrialist Sita Ram Jindal;
 Veteran Marathi film director Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo;
 senior journalist Kundan Vyas

17 Padma Bhushan Awardees 2024

India’s third-highest civilian award
S.No. Awardee Name Field State/Country
1. Ms. M Fathima Beevi (P) Public Affairs Kerala
2. Shri Hormusji N Cama Literature & Education Maharashtra
3. Shri Mithun Chakraborty Art West Bengal
4. Shri Sitaram Jindal Trade & Industry Karnataka
5. Shri Young Liu Trade & Industry Taiwan
6. Shri Ashwin Balachand Mehta Medicine Maharashtra
7. Shri Satyabrata Mookherjee (P) Public Affairs West Bengal
8. Shri Ram Naik Public Affairs Maharashtra
9. Shri Tejas Madhusudan Patel Medicine Gujarat
10. Shri Olanchery Rajagopal Public Affairs Kerala
11. Shri Dattatray Ambadas Mayaloo alias Rajdutt Art Maharashtra
12. Shri Togdan Rinpoche (P) Others – Spiritualism Ladakh
13. Shri Pyarelal Sharma Art Maharashtra
14. Shri Chandreshwar Prasad Thakur Medicine Bihar
15. Ms. Usha Uthup Art West Bengal
16. Shri Vijaykanth (P) Art Tamil Nadu
17. Shri Kundan Vyas Literature & Education – Journalism Maharashtra

Connect Us - 3
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

Padma Shri (7 in sports)

 tennis star Rohan Bopanna,
 veteran squash player Joshna Chinappa,
 hockey player Harbinder Singh,
 Mallakhamb practitioner Uday Deshpande,
 archer Purima Mahtao,
 para badminton coach Gaurav Khanna
 para swimmer Satendra Singh Lohia

Socialist icon and Ex Bihar CM Karpoori Thakur awarded Bharat Ratna

➢ President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday announced that the Bharat Ratna would be awarded
to socialist icon Karpoori Thakur, posthumously.

Bharat Ratna
 Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award of the country, established in 1954
 It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest
order in any field of human endeavour.
 The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister to the
President of India.
 The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a
particular year.

60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh selected for ‘Subhash Chandra

Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024’
 in the field of disaster management.
 For the year 2024, 60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh, in the
Institutional category, has been selected for the Subhash Chandra
Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024 for its excellent work in
Disaster Management.
 The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.
 Institutional Category - cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate
 Individual category - Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate

India-set ‘To Kill a Tiger’ nominated for best documentary feature at Oscars 2024
 The documentary is directed by Nisha Pahuja, a Toronto based film maker.
 The film is a Canadian production and had its world premiere at the 2022
Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the Amplify Voices Award for
Best Canadian Feature Film.
 The 96th annual Academy Awards will be held on March 10 at the Dolby Theatre
at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles

BOOKS AND AUTHOR

Conversations with Aurangzeb’: A Novel by Charu Nivedita
 Part historical novel, part satire, Conversations with Aurangzeb – by the cult Tamil writer
Charu Nivedita and translated by Nandini Krishnan
 Published by Harper Collins
 His novel “Zero Degree” was previously published in English translation,

Justice Shivaraj V. Patil’s autobiography ‘Time Spent Distance Travelled’ released

 released in English and Kannada
 He is a former judge of the Supreme Court

Connect Us - 4
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

 Mr. Patil served as a High Court judge in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan and was appointed as a
Supreme Court Judge in 2000.

Amit Shah launches book 'Assam's Braveheart Lachit Barphukan’

 The book written by Arup Kumar Dutta
 Published by the State government in English language and translated in 24
Scheduled Indian languages.

About Lachit Borphukan

Lachit Borphukan was a commander in the Ahom Kingdom.
During the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms led by Lachit Borphukan successfully defeated the Mughals.

NATIONAL NEWS
Ram Lalla consecrated at Ayodhya temple
 The ‘pran pratishtha’ took place during the 84-second mool mahurat, a
part of larger 'Abhijeet muhurta’
 Pandit Ganeshwar Shastri Dravid, an astrologer from Kashi, chose the
moment
 The new idol depicts Ram at the age of five, and was carved from black
stone by Mysuru-based sculptor Arun Yogiraj.
 Fifty traditional musical instruments from across the country were part of a devotional "mangal dhwani".
Orchestrated by Ayodhya's celebrated poet Yatindra Mishra
 The instruments included pakhawaj, flute and dholak from Uttar Pradesh, veena from Karnataka, algoja from
Punjab, sundari from Maharashtra, mardala from Odisha, santoor from Madhya Pradesh, pung from
Manipur, nagada and kali from Assam and tambura from Chhattisgarh.

Historical backdrop
 The 16th century Babri mosque, which many Hindus believe was
constructed on the site of Lord Ram’s birthplace, was demolished by kar
sevaks on December 6, 1992.
 A Supreme Court bench of then CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justices S A Bobde,
D Y Chandrachud, Ashok Bhushan and S Abdul Nazeer had settled a more
than 150-year-old Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute through a
unanimous verdict in November 2019
 They ruled in favour of the construction of the temple. It also ordered
allotment of a five-acre plot for building a mosque.

About Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir

 The temple has been constructed in the traditional Nagara style.
 Its east-west length is 380 feet, width 250 feet and height 161 feet.
 It is supported by 392 pillars and has 44 doors.
 Black stone used for Lord Ram's idol originates from Karnataka
 Core of the temple - Rajasthan's Makrana marble
 Exquisite carvings of deities in centre stage- Karnataka's Charmouthi
sandstone
 Entrance gate's imposing figures - pink sandstone from Rajasthan's
Bansi Paharpur
 2100 kg Ashtadhatu bell – Gujarat
 Intricately carved wooden doors and handcrafted fabrics - Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura

Shree Ram Janmabhoomi Temple is designed by celebrated architect Chandrakant B Sompura

 His grandfather, Prabhakar Sompura, designed the revived Somnath Mandir in Gujarat in 1949.

Connect Us - 5
WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

The ASI team led by Professor B B Lal (former Director General of ASI) excavated Babri
Masjid/Ram Janmabhoomi in 1976
 He was the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) from 1968
to 1972
 Former President Ram Nath Kovind presenting B B Lal with the Padma Vibhushan
award in 2021.

India elected as First Vice Chair of FAO COFI Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management
➢ India has been elected as the First Vice Chair of the United
Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Committee on
Fisheries (COFI) Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management.
➢ This is the first time in 59 years that India has been appointed to
this role.
➢ The Sub-Committee on Fisheries Management is a forum for
discussing fisheries management issues at the national, regional,
and global levels.
➢ India is one of the top fishing nations with over 28 million inland
and marine fishers.

Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana

 Government will launch ‘Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana’ with
the target of installing rooftop solar on one crore houses.
 This will not only reduce the electricity bill of the poor and middle
class, but will also make India self-reliant in the field of energy
 Estimated that there are less than 10 lakh households have
rooftop solar installations currently.
 Government had earlier declared plan to add 50 GW of renewable energy capacity annually for next 5 years
(from Financial Year 2023-24 till Financial Year 2027-28) to achieve the target of 500 GW by 2030

The central government has introduced the ‘Anuvadini’ app

Connect Us - 6
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

 Anuvadini is an AI-based translation tool for Indian languages developed by the All India Council for
Technical Education (AICTE).
 The tool supports 22 regional Indian and foreign languages.
 The initiative aims - to make study materials for all school and higher education courses available in digital
form, in Indian languages listed in the 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution.
 The University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE), and the
Department of School Education have been instructed to ensure the availability of digital study materials in
regional languages.

Halwa ceremony held for Interim Union Budget 2024

 The Halwa ceremony, marking the final stage of the Budget
preparation process for Interim Union Budget 2024
 A customary Halwa ceremony is performed every year before the
“lock-in” process of Budget preparation begins.
 A comprehensive annual Budget serves as a strategic roadmap,
outlining the economic course for a nation throughout the fiscal
year.
 While an interim budget (also known as ‘vote-on-account’)
furnishes financial specifics for the transitional period (few months until the new government comes to
power)
 Interim budgets have certain limitations imposed by the Election Commission of India to ensure no undue
influence on the voters.
 The government cannot propose major taxes or policy reforms in the interim budget
 Interim Union Budget 2024 will be delivered on 1st February 2024 in paperless form.
 All the Union Budget documents will be available on the “Union Budget Mobile App” after the completion of
the Budget Speech
 The full Budget for the fiscal year 2024-25 will be introduced in July after the formation of the new
government following the general elections.

Cabinet approves the scheme for promotion of Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects of Government PSUs and Private
Sector towards incentive for coal gasification projects under three categories
 Total outlay of Rs.8,500 crore to be provided as financial assistance for coal gasification projects under three
categories
 In category I, Rs.4,050 crore provisioned for Government PSUs in which up to 3 projects will be supported
 In category II, Rs.3,850 crore provisioned for private sector as well as Government PSUs
 In category III, Rs.600 crore provisioned for demonstration Projects (indigenous technology) and/or small-
scale product-based Gasification Plants
 Coal gasification is a technology that converts coal into liquid fuel known as syngas, which can be used for
power generation and to make methanol.

Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated 'Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara Samman' campaign

 Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar inaugurated a year long pan India campaign Hamara Samvidhan, Hamara
Samman to commemorate the 75th Year of India as Republic.
 Campaign by the Ministry of Law and Justice
 Aims to reaffirm the collective commitment to the principles given in the Constitution of India and celebrate
the shared values that bind the nation.
 Themes - Sabko Nyay - Har Ghar Nyaya, Nav Bharat Nav Sankalp and Vidhi Jagriti Abhiyan.

PM Modi holds a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron at Jaipur
in Rajasthan
French President and PM Modi visited Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar, and Jaipur City
 Jaipur’s Jantar Mantar is a collection of 19 astrological instruments established
by Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II, the city’s founder.

Connect Us - 7
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

 In 1734, the monument was completed.

 UNESCO World Heritage site with largest stone sundial in 2010.

Amer Fort:
• It is located in Amer, Rajasthan.
• It was built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh.
• It is known for its large ramparts and series of
gates and cobbled paths.
It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site as
part of the Group Hill Forts of Rajasthan in 2013.

PM Young Achievers’ Scholarship Award Scheme for a

Vibrant India (PM YASASVI) for OBC, EBC and DNT
Students
 NEWS: Rs 32.44 Crore released for Pre-matric
Scholarship and Rs 387.27 Crore released for
Post-Matric Scholarship to States/UTs under PM
YASASVI scheme
 PM YASASVI is a Scholarship scheme for Other
Backward Class (OBCs), Economically Backward
Class (EBC) and Denotified Nomadic Tribes (DNT)
Students.
 Income from all sources does not exceed Rs.2,50,000/- per annum.

Components of Schemes are as under:

1. Pre-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
2. Post-Matric Scholarship for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
3. Top Class School Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
4. Top Class College Education for OBC, EBC and DNT Students.
5. Construction of Hostel for OBC Boys and Girls.
Comes under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
Launched for OBCs in 1998-99.
For EBC/DNT in the year 2014-15.

FAO launched ‘Investment forum for advancing climate resilient agrifood system in India’
 The forum was a joint initiative between Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), NITI Aayog, and the
Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare.
 aims to develop an investment and partnership among the government, private sectors, and farmers'
organizations, and financial institutions in India
 to advance climate-resilient agri-food systems

Ministry of Education releases All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2021-2022
 Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) initiated the AISHE in 2011 to build a database and
assess the state of higher education in the country

From 2014-15 to 2021-22:

 Total enrolment in higher education increased 26.5%
 Female enrolment in Higher Education increased 32%
 Significant 44% increase in enrolment of SC students
 Substantial increase of 65.2% in enrolment of ST students
 Increase of 45% in OBC Student enrolment
 341 Universities/University level institutions have been established
 Female faculty/teachers have increased 22%

Connect Us - 8
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

STATE NEWS
PM Initiates 8 AMRUT Projects Worth Rs. 2,000 Crores In Solapur,
Maharashtra
 The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation
(AMRUT) is a government initiative that aims to improve the
quality of life in urban areas.
 PM dedicated over 90,000 completed houses under the Pradhan
Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban (PMAY-Urban) in Solapur,
Maharashtra.

 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) is a government program that provides housing to eligible
beneficiaries in urban areas.
 The program was launched in 2015 as part of the "Housing for All" (HFA) initiative.
 The program's initial duration was until 2021-2022, but it has been extended to December 31, 2024

• Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

• Launched on 25th June, 2015
• to provide the national priority basic services for e.g. water supply, sewerage, urban transport to households
and build amenities in cities which will improve the quality of life for all, especially the poor

Union Ayush Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal lays foundation stone for ‘Ayush Diksha’ Centre at Bhubaneswar
 Sarbananda Sonowal - Union Minister of AYUSH and Ports, Shipping & Waterways
 ‘Ayush Diksha,’ a pioneering center dedicated to the development of future Ayush professionals.

Himachal Pradesh Launches ‘My School-My Pride’ Campaign For Education Transformation
 Himachal Pradesh introduces 'My School-My Pride' campaign, part of 'Apna Vidyalay' program, aiming to
transform education in government schools
 The ‘My School-My Pride’ campaign aims to encourage active participation from individuals and
organizations to adopt schools and to provide career counselling and guidance, holding extra or special
classes for remedial teaching, yoga training and donating money to the school

Kachchhi Kharek from Kutch Receives GI Tag

 Kachchhi Kharek, the indigenous variety of dates of Kutch, has become the
second fruit of Gujarat to get GI tag after the Gir Kesar mango.
 The area accounts for more than 85 % of total date palm cultivation in India.
 The trees are known for their tolerance to salinity and adaptability to extreme
drought

Odisha to establish a melanistic tiger safari – a first of its kind in the world
 The safari will be established near Baripada, district headquarter town of
Mayurbhanj.
 the site is about 15 km from the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) matching the same
landscape.
 The Similipal Tiger Reserve is the only home for melanistic tigers in wild in the world.

Kochi to get country’s first carbon-neutral sports city featuring international cricket stadium
 ‘Cochin Sports City,’ India’s first carbon-neutral sports city, will come up on 40 acres in
Chengamanad village near the Cochin International Airport.
 It will featuring an international cricket stadium with a seating capacity for 40,000.
 Kerala Cricket Association hands over proposal to Chief Minister; project in Chengamanad
village entails an investment of around ₹750 crore

Connect Us - 9
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

PM inaugurates and lays foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 19,100 crores in Bulandshahr,
Uttar Pradesh
 Dedicates 173 Km long double line electrified section between New Khurja - New Rewari on Dedicated
Freight Corridor.
 This new DFC section is important as it establishes crucial connectivity between the Western and Eastern
DFCs.
 It has a ‘one kilometre long double line rail tunnel with high rise electrification’, which is the first of its kind
in the world.
 This tunnel is designed to seamlessly operate double-stack container trains.

Thai Poosam festival

 Thaipusam, also known as Thaipoosam, is a Hindu Tamil festival that celebrates the
victory of the Hindu god Murugan over the demon Surapadman.
 The festival is mainly celebrated in Tamil Nadu on Paush Purnima.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India launches “Alliance for Global Good- Gender Equity and Equality” at WEF Annual Meeting
 World Economic Forum’s annual meeting held at Davos, Switzerland from 15-19 January 2024
 India announced the launch of a “Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality” with the support and
endorsement by WEF and Government of India.
 The primary objective of this new Alliance is to bring together global
best practices, knowledge sharing and investments in the identified
areas of women’s health, education, and enterprise.

Cameroon starts world's first malaria vaccine program for children

 Cameroon will be the first country to routinely give children a new
malaria vaccine as the shots are rolled out in Africa.
 Africa accounts for 95% of the world’s malaria deaths.
 Cameroon will use the first of two recently approved malaria
vaccines, known as Mosquirix.

Connect Us - 10
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

Turkey approves Sweden’s entry into NATO

 After more than a year of delays, the Turkish parliament
voted in favor of Sweden’s entry into NATO on January 23,
2024.
 Only one country, Hungary, still must ratify Sweden's bid for
membership before it can join the alliance.
 Sweden and Finland applied for membership in 2022 to
strengthen their security in response to Russia's invasion of
Ukraine.
 Finland became the 31st member of NATO on April 4, 2023

NATO
 Formed in 1949 with the signing of the Washington Treaty, NATO
is a security alliance of 31 countries from North America and
Europe.
 Finland joined the alliance as 31st member.
 Headquarter - Brussels, Belgium.
 NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

WHO certifies Cabo Verde malaria-free; third African country to do so

 Cabo Verde (also known as Cape Verde)
 The country has now joined Mauritius and Algeria, who were certified in
1973 and 2019, respectively.

SPORTS
Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj finished second in the India Open title 2024
Winner – Korea
Venue - at the KD Jadhav Indoor stadium, New Delhi
Recently Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj finished second best at the Malaysia Super
1000

Wrestler Ravi Kumar Dahiya Claims Bronze Grand Prix De France 2024
 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist Ravi Kumar Dahiya secured a bronze medal in 61 kg
freestyle wrestling
 at the prestigious Grand Prix De France Henri Deglane wrestling tournament held in
Nice, France.

Spanish Grand Prix to move from Barcelona to Madrid in 2026

 Formula One has announced that Madrid will host the Spanish Formula
One Grand Prix from 2026 to 2035
 It has been traditionally held in Barcelona since 1991.

Raiza Dhillon, Gurjoat Khangura Clinch Skeet Mixed Team Bronze Medal
 India's Raiza Dhillon and Gurjot Singh Khangura won the mixed skeet team bronze medal
at the Asian Shotgun Championships 2024 in Kuwait City.

Man Singh Clinches Gold at the Asian Marathon Championships 2024 in Hong Kong
 The Asian Marathon Championships 2024 marked a historic moment for Indian
athletics as Man Singh, a 34-year-old marathon runner from India, clinched the
gold medal.
 Gopi Thonakal was the first Indian man to win the Asian Marathon
Championships title in 2017 in Dongguan, China.

Connect Us - 11
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

Rohan Bopanna becomes oldest player to hold No. 1 men’s tennis doubles ranking
 The 43-year-old Ace player, alongside Australia's Matthew Ebden defeated the Argentine
pair in the 2024 Australian Open quarter-finals.

Praggnanandhaa the only player in recent times to have beaten both world champions in open
and women’s categories
 Grandmaster R. Praggnanandhaa defeated the reigning and four-time women's
world champion Wenjun Ju from China in the ninth round of the Tata Steel Masters.
 Just a week ago in the same tournament, the Indian ace had beaten Ding Liren of
China.
 The Tata Steel Chess Tournament is an annual chess tournament taking place from Jan 12-28 in the
Netherlands.

ICC Men’s Awards 2023

Category Winner
Cricketer of the Year 2023 Pat Cummins (Australia)
(Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy)
ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023 Virat Kohli (India)
Test Cricketer of the Year 2023 Usman Khawaja (Australia)
T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 Suryakumar Yadav (India)

ICC Women’s Awards 2023

Category Winner
Cricketer of the Year 2023 Nat Sciver-Brunt (England)
(Rachael Heyhoe Flint Award)
ODI Cricketer of the Year 2023 Chamari Athapaththu (Sari Lanka)
T20I Cricketer of the Year 2023 Hayley Matthews (West Indies)
ICC Umpire of the Year 2023 Richard Illingworth
(David Shepherd Trophy) He had previously won this award in 2019 and 2022.

Connect Us - 12
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

BCCI Awards
 Former India all-rounder and Head Coach Ravi Shastri will be honoured with
BCCI's Lifetime Achievement Award.
 Shubman Gill will be presented with Cricketer of the Year award
 The BCCI awards will be held for the first time since 2019

SCIENCE AND TECH

Japan's SLIM spacecraft lands on moon, a first for the country
 Japan became the fifth country in history to made a soft landing on the lunar
surface
 Early on 20th January 2024, Smart Lander for Investigating Moon, or SLIM,
touched down in its target area near Shioli crater, south of the lunar equator
 It is called ‘Moon Snipper’ in the Japanese language
 Launched Launched on September 6, 2023, aboard a H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre, off
the south coast of Japan.
 However, the spacecraft might have survived on the lunar surface for just a few hours due to power failure

BharatGPT, India's own Generative AI

 India launched its own Generative AI (Large Language Model) platform in
14+ Indian languages, with generative text, voice and video
 Developed by Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) startup CoRover.ai
 with Google Cloud as its ‘technology partner’.
 BharatGPT is integrated for voice modality in more than 14 Indian
languages & 22 languages for text modality, in partnership with BHASHNI,
a National Language Translation Mission (NLTM) under The Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
 BharatGPT is in-line with current government vision of “Make AI in India, Make AI work for India”.
 Data remains in India.
 Fine-tuned as per Indian users.
 Generative AI (GenAI) is a broad category of artificial intelligence (AI) that can create new content. This
content can include text, images, video, audio, or code

DEFENSE
Exercise ‘Khanjar’ commences in Himachal Pradesh
➢ 11th edition of India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise Khanjar
➢ started at the Special Forces Training School in Himachal Pradesh’s Bakloh.
➢ The exercise is being conducted from January 22 to February 3.
➢ It is an annual event conducted alternatively in both the countries.

Connect Us - 13
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

➢ The Indian Army contingent comprising 20 personnel is being represented by troops from The Parachute
Regiment (Special Forces) and the Kyrgyzstan contingent comprising 20 personnel is represented by Scorpion
Brigade.

Exercise Cyclone
 a joint special forces exercise between India and Egypt.
 2nd edition of the Exercise Cyclone
 Being conducted at Anshas, Egypt from 22nd January to 1st February 2024.
➢ The first edition of the exercise was conducted last year in India.
➢ The Indian contingent is being represented by troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and
Egyptian contingent comprising 25 personnel of Egyptian Commando Squadron and Egyptian Airborne
Platoon.

IAF conducts 'Exercise Desert Knight’

 The Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Trilateral Exercise Desert Knight
along with French Air and Space Force (FASF) and United Arab Emirates
(UAE) AirForce over the Arabian Sea on January 23.
 India Air Force- Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, AWACS, C-130-J and Air to Air
Refueller aircraft.
 French Air and Space Force (FASF)- Rafale fighter aircraft and a Multi Role Tanker Transport
 UAE Air Force- F-16.

‘Steadfast Defender 2024’ : NATO's largest military exercise since Cold War
 Steadfast Defender is the largest exercise since the last Reforger exercise in 1988.
 With 90 thousand personnel, from the 31 NATO allies and Sweden, taking part
in drills across the North Atlantic and Europe
 It will test the ability of the alliance to quickly deploy forces and will test NATO's
new defense plans
 The overall exercise will run through June.

India’s second VLF communication station to come up in Telangana

▪ The Indian Navy is building its second Very Low Frequency (VLF)
communication transmission station in the Vikarabad district of
Telangana.
▪ The new station is expected to be completed by 2027.
▪ The Navy uses VLF communication transmission stations to
communicate with ships and submarines.
▪ The first being the INS Kattabomman Radar Station at
Vijayanarayanam in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, operational since 1990.

BANKING/ECONOMY
India overtakes Hong Kong as world’s fourth-largest stock market by market
capitalization
According to data compiled by Bloomberg:
 The combined value of shares listed on Indian exchanges reached
$4.33 trillion
 Versus $4.29 trillion for Hong Kong.
 India’s stock market capitalization had crossed $4 trillion for the first
time on December 5.

Connect Us - 14
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

HDFC Bank first lender to issue 20 million credit cards

 HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank become the first lender in the
country to achieve the milestone of 20 million credit cards in force.
 HDFC Bank is followed by SBI Card, ICICI Bank, and Axis Bank, in terms of the
number of credit cards issued.

Govt permits direct listing by Indian firms on GIFT-IFSC’s international markets

 The Department of Economic Affairs of the Finance Ministry has amended Foreign Exchange Management
(Non-debt Instruments) Rules, 2019,
 and notified the direct listing of securities by public Indian companies on the international exchanges of GIFT
International Financial Services Centre (GIFT-IFSC)
 Initiative to boost foreign investment flows, unlock growth opportunities and broaden the investor base for
Indian companies
 Additionally, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued Companies (Listing of Equity Shares in
Permissible Jurisdictions) Rules, 2024.
 As of now, the framework allows unlisted public Indian companies to list their shares on an international
exchange.
 SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) is in the process of issuing the operational guidelines for listed
public Indian companies
 The international stock exchanges at GIFT-IFSC currently prescribed as the permitted stock exchanges :
 India International Exchange
 NSE International Exchange

SHORT NEWS
Mamani Food Festival celebrated in Kargil, Ladakh

REVISION QUESTIONS
What is the target landing location for the SLIM (Smart Lander for Investigating Moon) mission?
SLIM मिशन के मिए िक्ष्य िैंड िं ग स्थान क्या है ?
a) Mare Tranquillitatis
b) Shioli crater
c) Tycho crater
d) Copernicus crater
Ans: b

Who will be conferred with the BCCI's Lifetime Achievement Award?

बीसीसीआई के िाइफटाइि अचीविेंट पुरस्कार से डकसे सम्िामनत डकया जाएगा?
a. Sachin Tendulkar
b. Ravi Shastri
c. Anil Kumble
d. Kapil Dev
Ans: b

Who is the author of the book "Assam's Braveheart Lachit Barphukan"?

"असि ब्रेवहाटट िामचत बरफुकन" पुस्तक के िेखक कौन हैं ?
a) Arup Kumar Dutta
b) Arundhati Roy

Connect Us - 15
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

c) Arun Shourie
d) Arvind Adiga
Ans:a

Who won the mixed skeet team bronze medal at the Asian Shotgun Championships 2024?
एमशयाई शॉटगन चैंपपयनमशप 2024 िें मिमित स्कीट टीि कािंस्य पदक डकसने जीता?
a) Raiza Dhillon and Gurjot Singh Khangura
b) Amanpreet Singh and Manu Bhaker
c) Abhinav Bindra and Heena Sidhu
d) Saurabh Chaudhary and Yashaswini Deswal
ans: a

In which state is Kachchhi Kharek cultivated?

कच्ची खरे क की खेती डकस राज्य िें की जाती है ?
a) Gujarat
b) Rajasthan
c) Maharashtra
d) Madhya Pradesh
Ans: a

Which two countries participate in the Khanjar exercise?

खिंजर अभ्यास िें कौन से दो दे श भाग िेते हैं ?
a) India and Kazakhstan
b) India and Kyrgyzstan
c) India and Tajikistan
d) India and Uzbekistan
Ans: b

Who is the chief architect of the Ayodhya Ram Mandir?

अयोध्या राि ििंडदर के िुख्य वास्तुकार कौन हैं ?
a. Chandrakant Sompura
b. B. V. Doshi
c. Hafeez Contractor
d. Raj Rewal
Ans: a

Whose autobiography is the "Time Spent Distance Travelled"?

"टाइि स्पेंट ड स्टें स ट्रै वल् " डकसकी आत्िकथा है ?
A) Shivaraj V. Patil
B) Ravi Kumar
C) Ananya Sharma
D) Deepak Singh
Ans: a

Who has been selected to receive the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024?
सुभाष चिंद्र बोस आपदा प्रबिंधन पुरस्कार-2024 प्राप्त करने के मिए डकसे चुना गया है ?
a) 60 Parachute Field Hospital, Uttar Pradesh
b) 8th Battalion NDRF
c) Both a and b
d) None

Connect Us - 16
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

Ans: a

In Exercise Desert Knight, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted joint exercises with air forces of which countries?
एक्सरसाइज े जटट नाइट िें, भारतीय वायु सेना (IAF) ने डकन दे शों की वायु सेनाओिं के साथ सिंयुक्त अभ्यास डकया?
a) France and UAE
b) Russia and UAE
c) UK and Pakistan
d) China and Australia
Ans: a

Which archaeologist led the excavation team at Ramjanmabhoomi site in 1976?

1976 िें रािजन्िभूमि स्थि पर उत्खनन दि का नेतत्ृ व डकस पुरातत्ववेत्ता ने डकया था?
a. R. S. Sharma
b. D. K. Printz
c. B. B. Lal
d. S. R. Rao
Ans: c

Who among the following clinched the gold medal at the Asian Marathon Championships 2024 held in Hong Kong?
मनम्नमिखखत िें से डकसने हािंगकािंग िें आयोखजत एमशयाई िैराथन चैंपपयनमशप 2024 िें स्वर्ट पदक जीता?
a) Arjun Patel
b) Man Singh
c) Aarav Kumar
d) Sanjay Gupta
Ans: b

Which Indian bank became the first lender in the country to issue 20 million credit cards?
कौन सा भारतीय बैंक 20 मिमियन क्रेड ट का ट जारी करने वािा दे श का पहिा ऋर्दाता बन गया?
a) State Bank of India (SBI)
b) HDFC Bank
c) ICICI Bank
d) Axis Bank
 Ans: b

Where will India's first carbon-neutral sports city be located?

भारत का पहिा काबटन-तटस्थ खेि शहर कहााँ खस्थत होगा?
a) Mumbai, Maharashtra
b) Delhi, NCR
c) Bangalore, Karnataka
d) Cochin, Kerala
Ans: d

Who is the only player in recent times to have defeated both world Chess champions in open and women’s
categories?
हाि के सिय िें ओपन और िडहिा वगट िें दोनों पवश्व शतरिं ज चैंपपयनों को हराने वािी एकिात्र खखिाडी कौन है ?
a) Magnus Carlsen
b) Hou Yifan
c) R. Praggnanandhaa
d) Judit Polgár
Ans: c

Connect Us - 17
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

What is the theme for the 75th Republic Day celebrated in 2024?
2024 िें िनाए जाने वािे 75वें गर्तिंत्र डदवस की थीि क्या है ?
a) “Bharat - Unity in Diversity”
b) “Sashakt Bharat” and “Swabhiman Bharat”
c) “Viksit Bharat" and "Bharat - Loktantra ki Matruka”
d) “Jai Hind Bharat” and “Celebrating Indigenous Traditions”
Ans: c

Who has been awarded the ICC T20I Player of the Year for 2023?
2023 के मिए ICC T20I प्िेयर ऑफ द ईयर का पुरस्कार डकसे डदया गया है ?
a) Virat Kohli
b) Suryakumar Yadav
c) Rohit Sharma
d) Shikhar Dhawan
Ans: b

Who is the technology partner for CoRover.ai's BharatGPT, providing cloud services?
क्िाउ सेवाएिं प्रदान करने वािे CoRover.ai के भारतजीपीटी का प्रौद्योमगकी भागीदार कौन है ?
a) Microsoft Azure
b) Amazon Web Services (AWS)
c) Google Cloud
d) IBM Cloud
Ans: c

Where is the Indian Navy constructing its second Very Low Frequency (VLF) communication transmission station?
भारतीय नौसेना अपना दस
ू रा वेरी िो फ़्रीक्वेंसी (VLF) सिंचार ट्रािंसमिशन स्टे शन कहााँ बना रही है ?
A) Andhra Pradesh
B) Kerala
C) Telangana
D) Maharashtra
Ans: c

Who directed the documentary "To Kill a Tiger"?

ॉक्यूिेंट्री "टू डकि ए टाइगर" का मनदे शन डकसने डकया?
a) Nisha Pahuja
b) Mira Nair
c) Deepa Mehta
d) Gurinder Chadha
Ans: a

Recently, Which country became the 31st member of NATO?

हाि ही िें, कौन सा दे श नाटो का 31वााँ सदस्य बना?
a) Sweden
b) Denmark
c) Norway
d) Finland
Ans: d

Connect Us - 18
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

Which African country recently secured the WHO certification for malaria-free status, becoming the third African
country to achieve this?
हाि ही िें डकस अफ्रीकी दे श ने ििेररया-िुक्त खस्थमत के मिए WHO प्रिार्न प्राप्त डकया, और यह हामसि करने वािा तीसरा
अफ्रीकी दे श बन गया?
a) Kenya
b) Cabo Verde
c) Nigeria
d) Ghana
Ans: b

How many houses are targeted to have rooftop solar panels under the 'Pradhanmantri Suryodaya Yojana’?
प्रधानििंत्री सूयोदय योजना' के तहत डकतने घरों की छत पर सौर पैनि िगाने का िक्ष्य है ?
a. 10 lakh houses
b. 5 crore houses
c. 50 lakh houses
d. 1 crore houses
Ans: d

In 2026, the Spanish Grand Prix will be relocated from Barcelona to which city?
2026 िें, स्पेमनश ग्ािं पप्रक्स को बामसटिोना से डकस शहर िें स्थानािंतररत डकया जाएगा?
a) Madrid
b) Seville
c) Valencia
d) Bilbao
ans: a

How many individuals were honoured with the Padma Shri Awards in 2024?
2024 िें डकतने व्यपक्तयों को पद्म िी पुरस्कार से सम्िामनत डकया गया?
a) 110
b) 92
c) 75
d) 125
Ans: a

Who will receive the Bharat Ratna 2024?

भारत रत्न 2024 डकसे मििेगा?
a. Karpoori Thakur
b. Nanaji Deshmukh
c. Atal Bihari Bajpayee
d. Bhimsen Joshi
Ans a

Who served as the Parade Commander for the Republic Day parade at Kartavya Path?
a) Major General Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore
b) Colonel Ashutosh Singh
c) Lieutenant General Bhavnish Kumar
d) Brigadier Anshu Malik
Ans: c

Which individual/s from the following list has/have been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan award 2024?

Connect Us - 19
 WEEKLY CURRENT AFFAIRS WEEK 4 (22-27 Jan) www.parchamclasses.in

1. Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi

2. Shri M Venkaiah Naidu
3. Shri Bindeshwar Pathak
4. Shri Mithun Chakraborty
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. Only 1
b. Only 1 and 2
c. 1,2 and 3
d. 2, 3 and 4
Ans c

Which is recognized as the largest paramilitary force in the World?

पवश्व िें सबसे बडे अधटसैमनक बि के रूप िें डकसे िान्यता प्राप्त है ?
A) BSF (Border Security Force)
B) CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force)
C) ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police)
D) SSB (Sashastra Seema Bal)
Ans: b

Which individual/s from the following list has been conferred with the Padma Vibhushan award 2024?
1. Shri Konidela Chiranjeevi
2. Shri M Venkaiah Naidu
3. Shri Bindeshwar Pathak
4. Shri Mithun Chakraborty
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. Only 1
b. Only 1 and 2
c. 1,2 and 3
d. 2, 3 and 4
Ans: c

QUESTION OF THE DAY

How many posthumous awards were given in the Padma Awards 2024?
a) 9
b) 7
c) 5
d) 12

Connect Us - 20