‘Paymart’ Partners With Five Indian Banks Kapil Kathpal

For Virtual ATM Service

• Paymart, a fintech startup, announced its partnership
with five Indian banks to introduce a groundbreaking
virtual, cardless, and hardware-less cash withdrawal
service.

• The partnered banks include IDBI Bank, Indian Bank,

Jammu & Kashmir Bank, and Karur Vyasa Bank
 Kapil Kathpal
Mswipe Technologies received PA License from RBI
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted Payment Aggregator
(PA) license to Mswipe Technologies Private Limited.

• The Certificates of Authorisation (CoA) for Setting up and

Operating Payment System in India is issued by RBI under
Section 7 of Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
 Kapil Kathpal
Japan Pledges JPY 232.209 Billion ODA Loan For
Nine Projects Across Various Sectors In India
• The Government of Japan has committed Official
Development Assistance (ODA) loan of JPY 232.209
billion for nine projects across various sectors in India.
 Kapil Kathpal
• North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 3) (Tranche
II): Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge (JPY 34.54 billion)

• North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 7): NH 127B
(Phulbari-Goeragre section) (JPY 15.56 billion)

• Project for Promoting Start-up and Innovation in Telangana (JPY 23.7 billion)

• Project for the Construction of Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (Phase 2) (JPY 49.85
billion)

• Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Haryana (Tranche I) (JPY 16.21

billion)

• Project for Climate Change Response and Ecosystem Services Enhancement in

Rajasthan (JPY 26.13 billion)

• Project for the Establishment of the Medical College Hospital at Nagaland Institute
of Medical Sciences and Research, Kohima (JPY 10 billion)

• Project for the Improvement of Urban Water Supply System in Uttarakhand (JPY
16.21 billion)

• Dedicated Freight Corridor Project (Phase 1) (Tranche V) (JPY 40 billion)

 Kapil Kathpal
Tech Mahindra Buys Orchid Cybertech For ₹24.75 crores
• IT services and consulting firm Tech Mahindra finalized
the acquisition of Orchid Cybertech Services (OCSI),
purchasing a 100% stake in the company through its
wholly-owned subsidiary for a total of $3.27 million
(₹24.75 crores).
 Kapil Kathpal
Reliance Industries is set to launch
‘Hanooman’, a ChatGPT-style AI service
• Reliance Industries in collaboration with some of the
country’s premier engineering institutions, is poised to
unveil its pioneering ChatGPT-style service named
‘Hanooman’ next month.

• The development of ‘Hanooman’ is a result of a

concerted effort between Reliance Jio Infocomm,
Centre, and several Indian Institutes of Technology
(IIT), including IIT Bombay.
 Kapil Kathpal
Museum - Anubhav Kendra Jyotisar, Kurukshetra

• PM virtually inaugurated a new experiential museum

named Anubhav Kendra Jyotisar, Kurukshetra

• It brings the Mahabharata and Gita teachings to life,

using Augmented Reality (AR), 3D laser, and projection
mapping

• Jyotisar, Kurukshetra is the sacred site where Lord

Krishna imparted the eternal wisdom of the Bhagavad
Gita to Arjuna
 Kapil Kathpal
3 Commemorative Coins at 19th
Foundation Day Celebrations of SPMCIL
• Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Ministry of Finance released 3
souvenir coins, during the 19th Foundation Day celebrations of the
Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited
(SPMCIL)

1. A Coloured souvenir coin on Endangered Animals of India –

Greater One Horned Rhinoceros

2. A bi-metallic clad souvenir coin on the Enlightenment of Buddha

3. Shree Ram Janmbhoomi Mandir Ayodhya (Coloured souvenir

silver coin)

• SPMCIL is under the administrative control of the Department of

Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

• All 3 coins were launched by the India Government Mint, Kolkata

 Kapil Kathpal
PM Modi Launches 3 IIMs, IITs
and AIIMS in Jammu
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated new IIMs, IITs,
Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and an AIIMS

• New Indian Institutes of Management in Jammu, Bodh Gaya, and

Visakhapatnam.

• Permanent campuses for Indian Institutes of Technology at Bhilai,

Tirupati, and Jammu, and for the Indian Institute of Information
Technology Design and Manufacturing in Kancheepuram.

• A state-of-the-art All India Institute of Medical Sciences in Vijaypur

(Samba), Jammu, established under the ‘Pradhan Mantri
Swasthya Suraksha Yojana’
 Kapil Kathpal
Maharashtra Government Extends
10% Reservation to Marathas
• The Maharashtra Cabinet has approved a draft bill to extend a 10
percent reservation to the Maratha community in both educational
institutions and government employment.

• This move follows a report submitted by the Maharashtra

Backward Class Commission (MBCC) justifying the extension
beyond the 50 percent cap.

• Currently, the state already reserves 10 percent for the

Economically Weaker Section (EWS), with the Maratha community
being the primary beneficiaries.

• Marathas claim 85 percent of this reservation, highlighting their

significant presence within the EWS category.
 Kapil Kathpal
Chandigarh Unveils North India’s First ‘Pizza ATM’
• CITCO (Chandigarh Industrial and Tourism
Development Corporation) introduces a pizza
maker near Sukhna Lake, producing hot pizzas in three
minutes, a first in North India.

• The pizza vending machine is the only one operational

in India
 Kapil Kathpal
Goa and World Bank Launch
Pioneering Climate Finance Facility
• The Government of Goa has unveiled plans for a
pioneering Blended Finance facility in collaboration
with the World Bank.

• Announced during the 2024 edition of the World Bank’s

India Climate and Development Partners’ Meet.

• To facilitate access to concessional finance for low-

carbon and climate-resilient investments in Goa.
 Kapil Kathpal
MoHUA & UNDP Collaborates to Organise
National Workshop on Urban Livelihoods
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), Ministry of Housing
and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), collaborated with United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to organise
a 2-day national workshop on urban livelihoods in
Ranchi, Jharkhand.

• The workshop focused on “Enhanced Resilience –

Empowered Women”.
 Kapil Kathpal
Dept of Fisheries & ONDC Join Hands
to Promote Digital Marketing of Fishes
• Department of Fisheries under the Ministry of
Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying signed an
Memorandum of Understanding with Open Network for
Digital Commerce to promote digital marketing of fishes
and other aquatic produce.

• The MoU aims to help traditional fishermen, fish

farmers producer organisations, entrepreneurs from
fisheries sector to buy and sell their products through
the e-market place.
 Kapil Kathpal
Underwater Photographer
of the Year 2024 Award
• Swedish photographer Alex Dawson has clinched the
prestigious title of Underwater Photographer of the
Year 2024.

• His winning entry, ‘Whale Bones’, is a mesmerizing

image that transports viewers beneath the icy expanse
of the Greenland ice sheet, where a diver is seen
exploring the skeletal remains of a minke whale.
 Kapil Kathpal
Shashi Tharoor Honoured with
France’s Highest Civilian Award
• Diplomat, author, and politician, Shashi Tharoor has been bestowed with
the prestigious ‘Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur’ (Knight of the Legion of
Honour), France’s highest civilian honour.

Legion d’Honneur

• Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honour

stands as the epitome of French recognition for outstanding
service to France, transcending nationality. The President of the
French Republic acts as the Grand Master of the Order,
symbolizing the prestige and honor associated with this award.
 Kapil Kathpal
Winners of 16th National Youth Parliament Competition
for Universities/Colleges, 2019-20
• Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs honoured the winners of the 16th
National Youth Parliament Competition for Universities/Colleges
(2019-20) during the Prize Distribution ceremony

University/College
Running Shield and Trophy for standing first at the national level
• Central University of Punjab
Merit Trophies For Standing First In The Respective Groups
• DAV College (Jalandhar, Punjab)
• Jadavpur University (Kolkata, West Bengal)
• University of Mumbai (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
• Chanakya National Law University (Patna, Bihar)
• Shivaji University (Kolhapur, Maharashtra)
 Kapil Kathpal
HAL & DRDO to Begin Rs 60,000 Crore
Sukhoi Fighter Jet Fleet Upgrade
• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in collaboration
with the Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) embarks on a comprehensive
upgrade project worth Rs 60,000 crore for the Su-
30MKI fighter jet fleet.
Multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Kapil Kathpal

Prayas IV’ commences in Kathmandu

• Kathmandu hosted the commencement of the
multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Prayas IV’.

• This significant event, which draws army

representatives from 19 countries actively involved in
United Nations Peacekeeping missions

• The Shanti Prayas Exercise is co-hosted by the Nepali

Army and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, reflecting
the strong military cooperation between Nepal and the
United States.
 Kapil Kathpal
Malta Becomes 119th Country to
Join International Solar Alliance
• Malta recently took a remarkable step towards sustainable energy
by joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

• Malta becomes the 119th nation to join the alliance

International Solar Alliance

• President: R. K. Singh
• Founders: Narendra Modi, François Hollande
• Founded: 30 November 2015
 Kapil Kathpal
Ashish Vijayakar Appointed as
MD & CEO of SBM Bank India
• Ashish Vijayakar has been appointed as the Managing
Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of
SBM Bank (India) Limited (SBM Bank India)

• He succeeds Sidharth Rath

 Kapil Kathpal
Ilham Aliyev Re-elected as President
of Azerbaijan for Fifth Term
• Ilham Heydar oglu Aliyev (Ilham Aliyev) has been re-
elected as the President of Azerbaijan for the fifth
consecutive term following his win in the presidential
election
 Kapil Kathpal
8-Year-Old From Singapore Beats
Polish Grandmaster- Sets Record
• An eight-year-old chess prodigy from Singapore in a
game at Switzerland’s Burgdorfer Stadthaus-
Open, Ashwath Kaushik emerged victorious against the
Polish grandmaster Jacek Stopa, securing his place in
history as the youngest chess player to defeat a
grandmaster.

• Previous record holder, Leonid Ivanovic from Serbia,

aged eight years and eleven months, had recently
defeated the Bulgarian Milko Popchev
 Kapil Kathpal
Bengaluru Open Tennis
• The Indian tennis pair Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar
Ramanathan won the men’s doubles title by defeating
Constantin Bittoun Kouzmine and Maxime Janvier of
France in the finals of the Bengaluru Open 2024.

• Stefano Napolitano (Italy) won the men’s singles title by

defeating Seongchan Hong (South Korea) in the finals.

• India’s sole contender in the men’s singles, Sumit

Nagal, lost to Stefano Napolitano in the semi-finals.
 Kapil Kathpal
Ameen Sayani, Renowned Radio Presenter
And Voice Of Geetmala, Passes Away
• Ameen Sayani, the legendary voice that defined radio
for generations of Indians, passed away.

• Known for his iconic program Binaca

Geetmala, Sayani’s voice was a staple in Indian
households, bridging the gap between music and its
lovers across the nation.
 Kapil Kathpal
Senior Supreme Court Advocate
Fali S Nariman Passes Away at 95
• Renowned constitutional jurist and senior Supreme Court
advocate Fali S Nariman passed away in New Delhi.

• Fali S Nariman embarked on his illustrious legal career in

November 1950 as an advocate of the Bombay High Court.

• As an Additional Solicitor General of India from May 1972,

Nariman’s role in shaping India’s legal landscape became even
more pronounced.
 Kapil Kathpal
International Mother Language Day 2024
• Annually commemorated on February 21, International Mother
Language Day in 2024 marking a special day of recognition and
celebration of linguistic diversity worldwide.

• The theme for International Mother Language Day is “Multilingual

education – a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning.”