National NEWS

NITI Aayog

• NITI Aayog organised the ‘National Conference on Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals’ in partnership with the host Government of Rajasthan and technical partners UNDP and UN in India on 4th and 5th March, 2024 in Jaipur.

Odisha signs MoU

• The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) signed an MoU with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham for developing a landslide early warning system in the state.
• The OSDMA also signed another MoU with Bangkok-based Regional Integrated Multi-hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) to provide support for implementing the World Bank-supported Odisha State Capability and Resilient Growth Programme (OSCRGP).

Odisha

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India- Maldives

• Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu announced, Maldives will not to renew its agreement with India for conducting hydrographic surveys and plans to acquire the facilities to do the surveys itself.

Maldives

ECONOMY & BANKING

Fuel from Pine Needles

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Indian Institute of Petroleum signs MoU with UCOST to deploy the Pine Needles-based fuel-making technology in Champawat.

CSIR

Fuel for Formula 1

• Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOC) partnered with FIM Asia Road Racing Championship to manufacture fuel used in adrenaline-pumping Formula One or F1, motor racing.
• It is first company in India to manufacture fuel of specifications used in road racing.

Unjust Climate Report

• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) released a report titled “Unjust Climate” revealed that, women, youth incur higher farm income losses due to heat stress, floods.

FAO

SNA system

• Starting April 1, the settlement of unspent funds from the Centre to states through the single nodal agency (SNA) will occur within a day, eliminating the need to park it outside the government account for more than 24 hours.
• The Department of Expenditure and the Reserve Bank of India are upgrading the SNA system to settle the unused amount in real time.

EFTA trade pact

• India is considering quota-based duty concessions on gold imports from Switzerland as part of a proposed free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
• The EFTA members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

ENVIRONMENT

Jim Corbett Tiger Safari Ban

• The Supreme Court bench, headed by Justices BR Gavai, PK Mishra, and Sandeep Mehta, addressed a petition by activist Gaurav Bansal reprimanded Uttarakhand govt for deforestation in Jim Corbett National Park and directed committee formation to mitigate damage and recover costs.
• Earlier in January, the SC dismissed the National Tiger Conservation Authority's (NTCA) proposal to establish a tiger safari within national parks, emphasizing the need for an "animal-centric" approach over a "tourism-centric" one.

NTCA

IMPORTANT DAY

Janaushadhi Diwas

• India celebrates 'Janaushadhi Diwas' on 7th March across India for Use of Generic Medicines.

Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PM-BJP)

DEFENCE NEWS

MH 60R Seahawk helicopter

• The Indian Navy has commissioned its first squadron of MH 60R Seahawk (manufactured by Lockheed Martin) multi-role choppers, enhancing surveillance and combat capabilities. 
• The INAS 334 'Seahawks' squadron was commissioned at INS Garuda in Kochi, attended by Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar.

Indian Navy

SPORTS NEWS

Khelo India athletes

• Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs Anurag Thakur announced on that Khelo India athletes will now be eligible for government jobs