Today’s Current Affairs: 31st May 2024 for SSC CGL, State SSC, RRB, Railways, Banking Exam & IBPS, etc
IRDAI Approves Sandeep Batra as ICICI Prudential Board Chairman:
- The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has granted approval for the appointment of Sandeep Batra as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company.
Agnikul Cosmos’ Agnibaan – World’s First 3D Printed Space Rocket Engine:
- Chennai-based startup Agnikul Cosmos has achieved a remarkable feat by successfully launching the world’s first space rocket with a single-piece three-dimensional (3D) printed engine.
- After four failed attempts, Agnikul triumphed on its fifth try, launching its own rocket, named Agnibaan, into space.
Remove Taliban From Terrorist List:
- Russia is set to remove the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, three years after the group regained power in Afghanistan.
- This move, reported by state-run RIA Novosti news agency, comes after years of Russia fostering relations with the Taliban, including holding multiple rounds of talks and boosting trade despite international sanctions
Shah Rukh Khan Appointed as New Brand Ambassador of Muthoot Pappachan Group:
- The Muthoot Pappachan Group (MPG), popularly known as Muthoot Blue, has announced the appointment of Shah Rukh Khan as its new brand ambassador.
- This strategic collaboration marks a significant milestone for MPG, aimed at reinforcing its brand presence and establishing a new connection with a diverse audience across the country
SEBI Shortens Commodity Derivatives Delivery Period to Boost Liquidity:
- In a strategic move to improve liquidity in the commodity derivatives market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reduced the deliverable period for commodity derivatives from the previous 5 days to 3 days.
MEA, Meity and CSC eGovernance Signed MoU To Provide eMigrate Services Through CSC:
- The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and CSC eGovernance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide the eMigrate services through Common Services Centres (CSCs) in India.
- The MoU was signed during the conference of National Workshop on ‘Powering Transformation through User experience and User interface (UI/UX) for Digital Governance’ held on May 28th 2024 at New Delhi, Delhi.
IITK DRDO Jointly Inaugurates Centre of Excellence in Defence Technologies:
- The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) has partnered with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and inaugurated the DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) on IITK campus for interdisciplinary research in next-generation defence technologies.
- Sanjay Tandon, former director of the Institute of Technology Management (ITM) at Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, has been appointed as the director of the centre of excellence at IITK.
THE Asia University Rankings 2024:
- According to the 12th edition of Times Higher Education (THE) Asia University Rankings (2024), Indian Institute of Science(IISc), Bengaluru (Karnataka), ranked 32nd on the list, is the highest ranked Indian institution.
- The 2024 list features a total of 91 Indian institutions.
- Tsinghua University (China) has topped the list for the 6th consecutive year, followed by Peking University (China) and National University of Singapore (NUS) (Singapore) at 2nd and 3rd rank respectively.
SEBI Notified Framework for Issue of Subordinate Units in Privately Placed InvITs:
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has notified a framework which allowed the privately placed Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs) to issue subordinate units.
- This new framework was introduced by SEBI in exercise of the powers given under Section 30 read with Section 11 and 12 of SEBI Act, 1992 and made certain amendments to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) Regulations, 2014.
- Now, Amended regulations called as Securities and Exchange Board of India (Infrastructure Investment Trusts) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024.
Bank of Maharashtra Introduces Maha Krishi Samrudhi Yojana to Offer Financial Support for Food & Agro-Based Industries:
- Bank of Maharashtra’s Maha Krishi Samrudhi Yojana (MKSY) Financial Support for Food and Agro-Based Industries Bank of Maharashtra(BoM) introduced the Maha Krishi Samrudhi Yojana (MKSY), a pivotal initiative to offer financial assistance to Food and Agro-Based industries and Agri infrastructure projects including startups which are invovled in processing activities, and the development of agricultural infrastructure facilities.
Muthoot Pappachan Group Named Actor Shah Rukh Khan as its Brand Ambassador:
- Muthoot Pappachan Group (MPG), popularly known as Muthoot Blue, has named Bollywood Actor Shah Rukh Khan as its brand ambassador.
- MPG is the promoter of leading Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) in India including Muthoot FinCorp Limited, Muthoot Microfin Limited, Muthoot Capital Services Limited, and Muthoot Housing Finance Company Limited.
- This strategic collaboration represents a significant milestone for MPG, reinforcing its brand presence and a new way of connecting with a diverse audience across India.
Agnikul Cosmos launched Agnibaan SOrTeD powerd by World’s 1st 3D Printed Semicryogenic Rocket Engine:
- AgniKul Cosmos Private Limited launched Agnibaan SOrTeD (SubOrbital Technological Demonstrator), powered by the world’s first single piece 3D printed semi-cryogenic engine.
- The rocket was launched from Agnikul Launch Pad 1 (ALP-1), India’s first & only private Launchpad within Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)-SHAR at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
Indian Arm Wrestlers won 7 medals at the Asian Arm-wrestling Championship 2024:
- The Indian Arm-Wrestling team won a total of 7 medals (1 gold and 6 bronze) at the 22nd Asian Arm-Wrestling Championship and 21st Asian Para Arm-Wrestling Championship 2024 held from 20th May to 27th May 2024 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
- The 2024 Championship was organised by the Asian Arm-wrestling Federation (AAF) and Uzbekistan Armwrestling Federation (UZAF).
- The Indian wrestlers’ team was competing under the banner of the People’s Armwrestling Federation of India (PAFI).
Wet Bulb Temperature:
- India is currently dealing with a very hot spell that is hurting many states, such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan.
- The combination of high temperatures and high humidity is having a big effect on daily life.
Dengue Outbreaks Rise In Americas Due To Climate Change:
- While dengue fever used to only happen in tropical areas, there are now an alarmingly high number of cases in both those areas and other places, like the US and Europe.
KAZA Summit Underway In Zambia:
- The Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) Summit took place in Livingstone, Zambia, in May 2023, and more than 400 people were there.
Golden Rice : Permit For commercial Production
- The Philippine Court of Appeals recently revoked biosafety permits for the commercial production of genetically modified golden rice and Bt eggplant.
- The court cited the government’s failure to establish safety monitoring mechanisms.
World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024:
- On World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024, India celebrates significant progress in menstrual hygiene management, with the 5th National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2019-2020) reporting that around 80% of young women aged 15-24 now use safe menstrual hygiene products.
Dag Hammarskjold Medal : Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh
- Naik Dhananjay Kumar Singh will be honoured posthumously with the Dag Hammarskjold medal during a solemn ceremony when the UN commemorates the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
eMigrate Project:
- A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is entered into between Ministry External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and Common Service Centre
- eGovernance Services India Limited to create a synergy between Common Service Centre (CSC) SPV & MEA to provide the eMigrate services through CSCs in the country.
New System To Identify Scam/Fraud Calls:
- Department of Telecom (DoT) recently introduced a new tool to identify genuine calls from those made by fraudsters.
- The DoT has allocated a dedicated 10-digit numbering series starting with 160 for service and transactional calls made by the government, regulators, and financial entities.
Eurasian Whimbrel : Migratory Bird
- For the first time, a long-distance migratory bird, the Eurasian or common whimbrel, tagged with a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter, was captured on camera in the state of Chhattisgarh.
- Eurasian Whimbrel is a wading bird in the large family Scolopacidae
