Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 11th March 2024

 

National News 

1.UGC Introduces SheRNI, Helping Female Scientists And Faculty Connect 

• The University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Information and Library Network (INFLIBNET) Centre unveiled a groundbreaking initiative, known as the ‘She Research Network in India’ (SheRNI). 
• This initiative aims to address the gender disparity in the field of science by ensuring equal representation of women scientists. 
• SheRNI challenges stereotypes and serves as a beacon of inspiration for future generations of female scientists, researchers, and faculty members. The primary goal of SheRNI is to establish a national-level expert platform for women faculty members. 

2.PM Modi Inaugurates Gurgaon Stretch Of Dwarka Expressway 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Gurgaon stretch of the Dwarka Expressway alongside Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. 
• The 29-km-long expressway spans 18.9 km in Haryana and 10.1 km in Delhi, starting from Shiv-Murti on National Highway 8 and culminating near the Kherki Daula toll plaza. 
• The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore, is divided into four parts, comprising two segments in Delhi and two in Haryana. 

3.India Becomes Second-Largest Mobile Phone Producer Globally 

• At the end of the decade from 2014 to 2024, India has emerged as the world’s second-largest producer of mobile phones. 
• According to the India Cellular and Electronics Association, the mobile phone sector has transformed from being 78 percent import-dependent in 2014 to achieving 97 per cent self-sufficiency by 2024. 
• Only 3 per cent of the total mobile phones sold in India are now imported. This remarkable achievement highlights the growth of India’s electronics manufacturing ecosystem. 

4.North India’s First Government Homeopathic College To Be Established In Kathua

• J&K Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, announced the establishment of North India’s first Government Homeopathic College in the Jasrota area of Kathua district, J&K. 
• The project, funded centrally at Rs 80 crore, reflects a significant stride in healthcare and education infrastructure development in the region. The college will cover an area of over 8 acres, with provisions to expand further. It will include a hospital complex, college facilities, administrative block, and separate hostels for male and female students. 

5.India signs free trade pact with 4 European countries 

• India signed a free trade agreement (FTA) with four European countries Ice land, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland on Sunday, with a goal of reaching $100 billion in investments in India and one million jobs within 15 years. 
• The Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) marks the second such full-fledged FTA signed after India's agree- ment with the United Arab Emirates, and will see considerable tariff reduction, increase in market access, and simplification of cus- toms procedures. 
• The EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, which are separate from the European Union, said that for the first time, the FTA also included a chapter on commitments to human rights and sustainable development. The agreement will come into force after ratification by the EFTA states, expected possibly by the end of the year. 
• 'Unique achievement' Touting the clauses on investment as a unique achievement, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said it was "for the first time in the history of the world that we are inking an FTA with a binding commitment to invest $100 billion in India from EFTA countries". However, EFTA Ministers clarified that the commitment was in fact a "goal" for both sides, based on the current levels of investment, pegged at about $10.7 billion, the GDP predictions, and the estimated value of the ΤΕΡΑ. 

6.PM inaugurates revamped Terminal 1 at IGI Airport; to be functional by May

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually inaugurated 15 airports, including the expanded Terminal 1 of Indira Gandhi International Airport at Delhi, which will now have the capacity to handle 40 million passengers per annum (MPPA) over twice its previous capacity of 17 MPPA. 
• The expanded Terminal 1 is expected to be functional in May, as currently, processes related to operational readiness are underway and various stakeholders are being familiarized with new procedures, said Videh Kumar Jaipuriar, CEO of Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). 
• The expansion work began in 2019 after the airport witnessed a massive surge in air traffic movement and passenger numbers, exceeding expectations. Currently, the airport is spread across three terminals. Terminal 2 has a capacity of 15 MMPA, while Terminal 3 has a capacity of 45 MMPA. 
• The expanded Terminal 1 will feature eight entry gates equipped with Digi-Yatra's facial recognition system, 20 automated tray retrieval systems, 100 check-in counters including 36 self-baggage drop kiosks, and 10 baggage reclaim carousels that will be able to handle 6,000 units of baggage per hour. 
• The terminal will also have 24 entry points with realigned pick-up and drop-off lanes to ease vehicular traffic.
• Once inside, passengers will be able to utilize shopping and dining facilities, a prayer room, a yoga area, a quiet zone, lounges, charging stations, a self-medication room, baby care rooms, smart washrooms and more, said DIAL, adding that the terminal will be well connected with Delhi Metro. 

7.Rapid growth, such as Bengalurus, and short-termism cannot coexist

• short-termism cannot coexist. The Karnataka water crisis has affected T more than 7,000 villages, 1,100 wards, and 220 talukas thus far. The problem encompasses Mandya and Mysore districts, where a major Cauvery river watershed and the Krish naraja Sagar dam are located, and both important sources of water to Bengaluru. While the capital has hogged the headlines, the effects of the crisis are wider. Reports have suggested that the distal cause is the insufficient rainfall last year, following the surplus in 2022, and the resulting under replenishment of the Cauvery. Erratic rainfall is not new to Karnataka. A Coffee Agroforestry Network (CAFNET) project, a decade ago, assessed 60 years of data and found the rainy season over Kodagu had shrunk by two weeks in three decades while annual rainfall seemed to undulate in a 12-14-year cycle. Yet, the crisis now has come as a surprise thanks to Ben galuru's lack of preparation, a travesty for being one of India's wealthiest urban municipalities and home to many research institutions, Benga luru consumes roughly 1,400 million liters a day each from the Cauvery and groundwater re- serves. The groundwater recharge rate is much lower while the Cauvery's was compromised by last year's deficient rain. These are deficits only relative to Bengaluru's demand. The situation is worse further away from the city's center. This is ironic because these areas do not receive piped water from the Cauvery and depend on ground- water and water tankers, whereas the city was engineered for centuries until the 19th to move away from water from distant sources and towards its surfeit of lakes. Seasonal lakes have since dwindled, while perennial lakes have been strangled by concretisation and sewage. Climate change is a crisis of time. It precipitates nonlinear changes that lead to disproportionate, and sometimes irreversible, outcomes, forcing underprepared governments to mount rapid responses to forces that have been festering for decades. Even if the erratic rainfall is unrelated to climate change, the phenomenon only promises more unpredictability. In this regard, Bengaluru, and most Indian cities, will achieve little when they mount stopgap measures in the event of a crisis and drop the long-term view once the crisis has ended. Rapid growth, such as Bengaluru has had this century, and short-termism can not coexist. There is a need for bipartisan solutions that transcend the change in government every five years, a circular water economy that maximizes the utility of every liter, reducing the city's dependence on external sources; and, not to forget, a clean and healthy Cauvery. 

8.Gadkari Launches 22 highway projects worth 14,000 crore 

• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Sunday assured that underpasses and foot overbridges will be approved and work on improving entry and exit points on the Bengaluru- Mysuru highway will be cleared in the next 15 days. 
• He was addressing the gathering at a function organised to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone for 22 National Highway projects, totalling 268 km with an investment of 4,036 crore in Mysuru. 
• Mr. Gadkari referred to the representations he received from Mysore MP Pratap Simha and Mandya MP Sumalatha Ambareesh on the infrastructure improvement works on the highway. "I assure you that the approval for the underpass, foot overbridges and entry and exit points will be given in 15 days," he said. Earlier, Mr. Simha said the Centre had sanctioned 1,200 crore for underpasses, foot overbridges and improvement of entry and exit points on the highway. 
• Mr. Gadkari said the government had approved a total of 16 ropeways in Karnataka, to be built at a total cost of ₹5,000 croгe. 
• Mr. Gadkari was also optimistic that the work on the Bengaluru-Chennai express highway would be completed before 2025, adding that the 262 km-long Bengaluru-Chennai express highway being constructed at a cost of 20,000 crore will reduce the journey time between the two cities to two hours. 

9.Report turns spotlight on India's 'zero-food children’ 

• Sunita Gautam, a 26- year-old domestic help, wonders if she will be able to provide her I'll-month-old boy the nutrition be requines. "My child is mainly dependent on breastmilk. At times, I give him porridge, but that too not every day as he takes time to eat and is more habituated to breastmilk, I have a very busy daily routine. If I don't earn money, how can I provide a better life for my child?" Ms. Gautam, who works in Lucknow Vishal Khand area, asked. 
• Ms. Gautam's baby is likely to be one of the millions of "zero-food" children aged six months to 23 months in Uttar Pradesh. These infants have not eaten any food of substantial calorific content, semi-solid, solid, soft, or mushy food, infant formula or fresh milk for 24 hours. 
• A study published recently in the peer-reviewed JAMA Network Open journal found the prevalence of zero-food children in India at 19.3%, drawing attention to extreme food deprivation among children. The study ranks India as having the third-highest percentage of zero-food children, above only Guinea (21.8%) and Mali (20.5%). In terms of numbers, India has the highest number of zero-food children at more than six million. 
• Another study published in 2023 in eClinical Medicine, part of the noted Lancet Discovery Science, found that Uttar Pradesh alone accounts for 28.4% of zero-food children in India. 
• Maharashtra (7.1%), Rajasthan (6.5%), and Madhya Pradesh (6%) account for nearly two-thirds of the total zero-food children in India," the report said. 
• "My husband is an alcoholic. He spends most of his time at home but I cannot trust him to feed the child. He may harm the child as it takes time to feed him (the baby," Ms. Gautam said. 
• Shalini Singh, a public health specialist, argues that alongside poverty and marginalization in economic backgrounds, it is rapid urbanization and nuclearised families that have contributed to such a large number of "zero food children" in India's most populous State. 
• She said lack of awareness about the nutritional needs of children, and misconceptions, also contribute to the numbers. "Women from underprivileged economic backgrounds work to sustain their families, resulting in their having insufficient time to complement breastfeeding for children above six months of age. With rapid industrialisation, nuclear families have grown in both urban and rural areas, so there is no one to invest the time and energy required to feed a child, apart from the mother," she said, adding that lack of awareness about nutritional needs of children, and social misconceptions, also contribute to the likely numbers. 
• Uttar Pradesh's urban population is approximately 23%, according to the 2011 Census and had grown by more than 25% in 2011 when compared with 2001, signifying a large number of poor moving towards urban centers in search of a livelihood. 

10.Amitav Ghosh awarded Erasmus Prize for highlighting Climate Crisis 

• Indian writer Amitav Ghosh has been awarded the ‘Erasmus Prize’ 2024 for highlighting the climate change crisis. 
• 67-year-old Ghosh has been honoured with the award by the Premium Erasmianum Foundation of the Netherlands. 
• Amitav Ghosh will receive the award in person in the Netherlands in November. 
• Ghosh has received this award for his passionate contribution to highlighting the global crisis of climate change through writing and on the theme of ‘imagining the unimaginable’. In 2023, this award was received by South African comedian ‘Trevor Noah’. 

About the Erasmus Prize 

• Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands founded the Premium Erasmianum in 1958. 
• It is a distinguished award for individuals or institutions who have made an extraordinary contribution to culture or scholarship in Europe and beyond. 
• The prize carries an incentive amount of 150,000 Euros. It is also accompanied by decorations designed by Bruno Nienaber van Eyben. 

International News 

11.Sea6 Energy Launches World’s First Large-Scale Mechanized Tropical Seaweed Farm 

• Sea6 Energy, a pioneer in the Blue Economy, has launched the world’s first large-scale mechanized tropical seaweed farm off the coast of Lombok, Indonesia. 
• The one-square-kilometer seaweed farm is a significant milestone in establishing the scalability of sustainable tropical seaweed cultivation for various industrial applications.
• Sea6’s vertically integrated technology platform automates various workflows, from seeding to harvesting, and enhances the seaweed feedstock’s shelf life, increasing smallholder farmer productivity. 

12.Gig workers suffer from lack of social security, regulations: study 

• Almost a third of app-based cab drivers work for over 14 hours a day, while more than 83% work more than 10 hours and 60% work over 12 hours, according to a study of more than 10,000 Indian cab drivers, gig and platform workers. 
• It noted that social disparities make the situation worse, with over 60% of the drivers from the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes working for over 14 hours a day, while only 16% from the unreserved category work such long hours. 
• The study was conducted by the People's Association in Grassroots Action and Movements, and the Indian Federation of App-based Transport Workers, with technical support from the University of Pennsylvania and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung India, a German foundation. Authors of the study, which will be released on Monday, recommended stronger social security for app-based workers, and called on the government to exercise oversight on the fairness of algorithms and mechanisms used by platforms to monitor such workers. The report said that over 43% of participants in the study earn less than ₹500 a day, or 15,000 a month, after de- ducting all costs. It found that 34% of the app-based delivery persons earn less than 10,000 a month, while 78% spend over 10 hours daily at work. 
• Adding to the problem Noting the differences among workers from different castes, the report said that "these income dispari- ties further exacerbate the already existing social in-equalities and perpetuate cycles of poverty and distress within communities". 

13. 7,396 golden langurs in India, reveals survey 

• There are an estimated 7,396 golden langurs in India, the latest survey of the primate has revealed. The comprehensive population estimation of the endan- gered primate was carried out in two phases by the Primate Research Centre NE India (PRCNE), Assam Forest Department, Bodoland Territorial Council, Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History , (SACON), and Conservation Himalayas. 
• The entire distribution range of the golden langur (Trachypithecus geei) COV- ers the Manas Biosphere Reserve and all fragmented forests in the western part of Assam. 
• In the first phase during March-April 2020, the survey covered the western part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve, including Ripu Reserved Forest -a major part of it was recently upgraded to Raimona National Park Chirang Reserve Forest. Manas Reserve Forest, and Manas National Park up to the western bank of the Manas River. 
• The second phase during the same months in 2021 focused on fragmented forest habitats of golden langurs in the Bongaigaon, Kokrajhar, and Dhubri districts of western Assam. The block count method was applied for the first time to assess the abun- dance, spatial distribution, and densities of the golden langur populations. 
• "This method is considered to be relatively simple, cost-effective, and robust for arboreal and small group-living primates such as the golden langur," H.N. Kumara, the principal scientist of SACON, said. 
• Inclusive of bisexual and male bands, along with 31 lone males," Jihosuo Biswas, the lead primatologist at PRCNE, said. He supervised the survey. 
• "The population of golden langurs is divided into two major sub-populations. The northern extended population, which encompasses the western part of the Manas Biosphere Reserve, extending from the Sankosh River to the Manas river up to the India-Bhutan border along the northern side of National Highway 27 and State Highway 2," Dr. Biswas 
• The golden langur habitat was demarcated into 51 counting blocks, each overlaid with 50-hectare grid cells. Ten teams, each comprising one or two trained enumerators and three to four forest staff, surveyed the blocks. 
• "We observed 7,720 individuals of golden langurs in 706 unique groups and 31 lone males or floating males. Estimating the minimum population size, we found there to be 7,396 individuals in 707 groups, it was explained. The northern population of the primate with the golden sheen was estimated at 5,566 in 534 groups and 23 lone males. The population ion of the southern fragments was estimated at 1,830 langurs in 173 groups and eight lone males. 
• While the Ripu Reserve Forest was home to the most (2,847) northern population of golden langurs, Kokrajhar district's Chakrashila Wildlife Sanctuary had 838 individuals, the most in the southern fragmented range of the primate. 
• The previous population estimation in 2008-09, also conducted under the supervision of Dr. Bis recorded 6,000 golden langurs in India. Each group then had an average of 9.24 individuals, which was 1,45 individuals less than the average group recorded in the latest survey. 
• On the flip side, the survey report underlined an unstable situation in the fragmented habitats of the golden langurs, particularly due to the absence of non-breeding all-male bands. The primatologists involved in the survey highlighted the need for corridor linkage among the fragmented habitats through plantations and canopy bridges to offset potential threats the primates face from anthropogenic interactions. 

14. Asif Ali Zardari sworn in as Pakistan’s 14th President 

• Asif Ali Zardari took oath as the 14th President of Pakistan. 
• Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa administered the oath to the 68-year-old Mr Zardari in a small yet formal ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr, the Presidential Palace. 
• Mr Zardari replaces Dr Arif Alvi, who stayed in office for five months after completing his five-year term in September 2023. 
• This is the second time that Mr Zardari has won the presidency, a record for any civilian. Earlier he served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 and is one of the four democratically elected presidents to have completed their five-year constitutional term. 
• After the partition in 1947, Pakistan’s first president was Iskandar Mirza who took office on March 23, 1956 after the first constitution was adopted and the country became a republic. Before that the country was led by the governor generals who ruled under the amended India Act of 1935. 

About Pakistan 

• Capital– Islamabad
• Currency – Pakistani Rupee 
• Official languages- Urdu, English 
• President- Asif Ali Zardari 
• Prime Minister – Shehbaz Sharif 

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President 

• Prime Minister of Pakistan – Shehbaz Sharif (2nd term) 
• President of Indonesia – Prabowo Subianto 
• President of Finland – Alexander Stubb 
• Prime Minister of Kazakhstan – Olzhas Bektenov 
• Prime Minister of Yemen – Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak 

State News 

15.Maharashtra Unveils Fourth Women’s Policy For Holistic Development 

• The state of Maharashtra has announced its fourth women’s policy, which aims to promote the holistic development of women. 
• Aditi Tatkare, the Women and Child Development Minister, unveiled this policy on the eve of Women’s Day during the golden jubilee year of the Women’s Economic Development Corporation. 
• Maharashtra is the first state in India to introduce a women’s policy. The state has previously announced three women’s policies, all aimed at promoting women’s development. 

Appointments News 

16.Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora: Pakistan’s First Sikh Minister In Punjab 

• Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, a three-time member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) in Pakistan, has become the first Sikh minister in the Punjab province. 
• The cabinet in Punjab was formed by the newly elected Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) government led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. The inclusion of Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora reflects the government’s commitment to representing all communities. 

17.Devendra Jhajharia Becomes New President Of Paralympic Committee Of India 

• Devendra Jhajharia, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, has been elected as the new President of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI). He succeeds another renowned para-athlete, Deepa Malik. 
• Devendra Jhajharia, a javelin thrower, won gold medals in the 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio Paralympics in the F46 disability category. He was the only candidate for the post of PCI president. 

Sports News 

18.Satwik-Chirag Win BWF French Open Men’s Doubles Title

• Indian badminton stars Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty have won the BWF French Open men’s doubles title, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan in the final. 
• Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the French Open men’s doubles title They defeated Lee Jhe-Huei and Yang Po-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei in straight games (21-11, 21-17) 
• This is their second French Open title after previously winning in 2022 They are the world No. 1 men’s doubles pair. 

Miscellaneous News 

19.Majuli Mask Making And Manuscript Painting Receive GI Tags 

• Majuli, the largest river island in the world, has received two prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) tags from the Indian government for its traditional crafts – Majuli mask making and Majuli manuscript painting. 
• Majuli masks are used in traditional bhaonas (theatrical performances) of the neo-Vaishnavite tradition. These masks can depict gods, goddesses, demons, animals, and birds 
• This art form originated in the 16th century Paintings are done on sanchi pat (manuscripts made of agar tree bark) The earliest example is said to be a rendering of the Bhagwat Purana by Srimanta Sankardev. 

20. Riken Yamamoto will receive 'Architecture Nobel' Pritzker Prize-2024 

• Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto was declared the winner of the 2024 Pritzker Architecture Prize, the highest international award in the field, also known as the "Architecture Nobel". Riken Yamamoto is often called a "misfit" architect. 
• The award has been awarded annually since its establishment in 1979, and Yamamoto is the ninth laureate from Japan. The Pritzker Architecture Prize was established by J. A. Pritzker, the late founder of the Hyatt Hotels chain, and his wife, Cindy. 
• The award carries a prize purse of $100,000, a citation, and a bronze medal based on a design by Chicago architect Louis Sullivan, known as the Father of the Skyscraper. The only Indian award winner is the late Balkrishna Doshi (2018). 

Japanese architect Riken Yamamoto 

• Beijing-born Yamamoto, 79, privileges family and community above all else in his projects, above all else. 
• Hiroshima Nishi Fire Station, designed by Yamamoto, Koyasu Elementary School (2018), Yokosuka Museum of Art (2006) and Hotkubo Housing (1991) built for 110 families. 
• Architects from Japan have won the largest number of Pritzkers, including the 2010 award that was shared by Kazuyo Sejima and Ryu Nishizawa. 
• Kenzo Tange was the first Japanese winner in 1987, and he was followed by Fumihiko Maki (1993), Tadao Ando (1995), Toyo Ito (2013), Shigeru Ban (2014), and Arata Isozaki (2019), in addition to Sejima, Nishizawa. 

22. India honored with the prestigious Global Measles and Rubella Champion Award 

• India has been honored with the prestigious Measles and Rubella Champion Award. India has been given this award for its exemplary efforts in combating these diseases. 
• The award was received by Ambassador Sripriya Ranganathan on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the American Red Cross Headquarters in Washington on March 6, 2024. 
• The Health Ministry said in a statement that the award reaffirms India's unwavering commitment to public health and controlling the spread of these infectious diseases among children. 
• According to the Union Health Ministry, vaccination against measles and rubella is being done in the country under the Universal Immunization Program (UIP). 
• Despite all the challenges, India has made significant progress in this direction. As a result, not a single case of measles has been reported in 50 districts in the last 12 months. 
• The International Committee of the Red Cross, founded in February 1863, is an independent and neutral organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Measles & Rubella 

• Measles and rubella (MR) are vaccination-preventable diseases (VPDs). The MR vaccine has been part of the country's public immunization program since 2017. 
• In 2019, the Government of India had set a target to eliminate measles and rubella by the year 2023. Earlier its target was to be achieved by the year 2020 which could not be achieved. 

23. Kristina Piszkova of Czech Republic won the title of Miss World-2024 

• 24-year-old Christina Prizkova of Czech Republic has won the title of Miss World. Christina was crowned the 71st Miss World on 9 March 2024 at a grand event held at the Jio World Convention Center in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She is the second Czech Miss World, after Tatana Kucharova in 2006. 
• Participants from 115 countries took part in the competition. The previous Miss World, Karolini Białawska of Poland, crowned Christina. 
• Yasmina Zeytoun of Lebanon was the runner-up in the competition. Ache Abraham of Trinidad and Tobago and Lesego Chombo of Botswana were among the top four finalists. 
• India was represented by 22-yearold Sini Shetty. Mumbai-born Shetty, who was crowned Femina Miss India World 2022, was unable to make the top 4 of the competition. 
• India has won the prestigious title six times – Rita Faria (1966), Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (1994), Diana Hayden (1997), Yukta Mukhi (1999), Priyanka Chopra Jonas (2000), and Manushi Chhillar (2017).
• This prestigious beauty pageant was hosted in the country after 28 years. The last time India hosted Miss World was in 1996, in which Greece's Irene Skliva won the title. 
• The tagline associated with the Miss World pageant was 'Beauty with a Purpose'. 
• This year's grand finale was cohosted by Miss World 2013 Megan Young and filmmaker Karan Johar. Singers Neha Kakkar and Tony Kakkar gave an original performance, while Shaan also sang for the audience. 

24. Prime Minister launched ‘Mahtari Vandan Yojana’ in Chhattisgarh 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually launched the Mahtari Vandan Yojana of the Chhattisgarh government on March 10, 2024. He also interacted with the women beneficiaries of this scheme. 
• Under this scheme, Rs 1000 will be transferred to the accounts of more than 70 lakh women every month. In the first phase of the scheme, the Prime Minister transferred an amount of more than Rs 655 crore. 
• This program is being organized in 146 block headquarters of Chhattisgarh. The main program will be held in the capital Raipur in which Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sahay will be present. 
• Bharatiya Janata Party had promised to start this scheme during the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. Each registered woman will get Rs 12,000 annually or Rs 1,000 monthly. 

25.'Krishak Unnati Yojana' 

• Apart from this, another scheme, 'Krishak Unnati Yojana' will be launched on March 12 to provide financial assistance to paddy farmers in the state. Farmers whose paddy is purchased at Minimum Support Price (MSP) will receive additional amount under this scheme. 
• Union Ministers Arjun Munda and Giriraj Singh will attend the launch of 'Krishak Unnati Yojana'. Chhattisgarh government will buy paddy from farmers at Rs 3100 per quintal. 
• A record 1.47 lakh metric tonnes of paddy has been procured this year, with farmers already paid MSP of Rs 2,183 per quintal. 
• This scheme will deposit the difference amount of Rs 917 per quintal in the bank accounts of farmers. On March 12, the state government will deposit Rs 13,000 crore in the accounts of more than 24 lakh farmers. 

26. PM Modi unveiled Lachit Borphukan's 125-foot-tall statue 'Statue of Valour' in Jorhat, Assam 

• PM Narendra Modi unveiled the 'Statue of Valour', a 125-foot tall statue of Lachit Borphukan at the Lachit Borphukan Maidam Development Project in Hollongapar near Teok, Assam on March 9, 2024. 
• The statue, built by Ram Vanji Sutar, has a height of 84 feet and is installed on a 41 feet pedestal, making the structure 125 feet high. The foundation stone of the statue was laid by former President Ram Nath Kovind in February 2022. 
• Lachit Borphukan was a famous army commander of the Ahom kingdom (1228–1826). He is best known for his leadership in the 'Battle of Saraighat' of 1671, which thwarted an attempt to retake Assam by the powerful Mughal army led by Raja Ram Singh-I. 
• PM Modi also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 17,500 crore in Assam. He also said that development of the North-East is necessary to fulfill the resolve of 'Developed India'. 
• Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Kaziranga National Park in Assam and interacted with Van Durga, a team of women forest guards in the park. 

27. 15 feet tall statue of martyr Raja Hasan Khan Mewati 

• Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal unveiled a 15-feet tall statue of martyr Raja Hasan Khan Mewati at the Government College, Nagina. Hasan Khan Mewati was a wellknown Muslim Rajput ruler of Mewat, Haryana. 
• The Shahid Hasan Khan Mewati statue, crafted using glass fiber with Panchdhatu lap by Rajasthan sculptor Naresh Kumawat, is 15 feet tall. Hasan Khan Mewati is depicted sitting on a horse, showing a graceful appearance. This statue with a spear in one hand and hanging from the waist is a symbol of his bravery and valor. 

Important day 

28.10 March – International Day of Women Judges 

• The International Day of Women Judges is celebrated on 10 March every year. 
• The day is dedicated to recognizing the contributions of women judges worldwide. 
• It also serves as a reminder of the importance of women’s participation in all levels of decision-making for the achievement of equality and democracy. 
• The United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of Women Judges on 10 March to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women in the judiciary.
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