CURRENT AFFAIRS : BANKING & FINANCE
RBI Reports Indian Banks Achieve Decadal High in Asset Quality Improvement
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a report titled ‘Trend and Progress of Banking in India’.
Key Highlights :
- As per the report, the Indian scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) Gross Non-Performing Assets (GNPA) ratio improved in the second quarter of this financial year.
- According to the report, the consolidated balance sheet of SCBs grew by 12.2% in 2022–23.
- The improvement in asset quality is measured by GNPA ratios.
- The GNPA ratio for Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) dropped to 3.9% at the end of March 2023 and further decreased to 3.2% at the end of September 2023.
- The agricultural sector had the highest GNPA ratio, while retail loans had the lowest.
- About a 45% reduction in the GNPAs of SCBs is due to recoveries and upgrades.
- The combined balance sheet of urban cooperative banks has increased by 2.3% in 2022–23.
- The consolidated balance sheet of non-banking financial companies increased by 14.8% in 2022–23.
- The capital to risk weighted assets ratio (CRAR) of SCBs was 16.8 per cent at end-September 2023, with all bank groups meeting the regulatory minimum requirement and the common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio requirement.
RBI Prolongs Payments Infrastructure Development Fund Scheme By 2 Years Till December 2025
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its decision to extend the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) for two years up to December 31, 2025.
- The Scheme was operationalized by the RBI in 2021 for three years (extendable up to 2 years) to encourage deployment of payment acceptance infrastructure in India.
- It includes physical Point of Sale (PoS) terminals, Quick Response (QR) codes, in tier-3 to tier-6 centers, North Eastern states and Union Territories (UTs) of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
- Purpose: To strengthen the payment acceptance infra by including 30 lakh touch points, which includes 10 lakh physical and 20 lakh digital payment devices every year.
Key Highlights :
- Inclusion of PM Vishwakarma Scheme Beneficiaries: Merchants benefiting from the PM Vishwakarma Scheme are now included as eligible participants in the PIDF scheme.
- Eligibility of Devices for Subsidy: Soundbox devices and Aadhaar-enabled biometric devices are recognized as eligible devices to claim subsidies under the PIDF scheme.
- Standardised Subsidy for Special Focus Areas: The subsidy for special focus areas, including North Eastern states, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, has been standardised at 90% of the device cost, up from the previous 75%, regardless of the device type.
- PIDF Corpus: As of November 30, 2023, the PIDF corpus is reported to be Rs 1,026.37 crore, according to an RBI release.
- Acceptance Device Expansion Goal: The scheme aims to enhance the country’s acceptance device landscape by adding 30 lakh touch points annually.
About RBI :
- Established : 1 April 1935
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Governor : Shaktikanta Das
- Deputy Governors : Swaminathan Janakiraman, Michael Patra, M. Rajeshwar Rao, T Rabi Sankar
RBI Grants Extension for the Implementation of Penalty Charge Norms on Loan Accounts
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend the timeline for implementation of guidelines for lenders on penal charges in loan accounts by three months.
- In August,2023 the RBI had issued fresh guidelines for lenders on penal charges in loan accounts to ensure that penal interest/ charges is not used as a revenue enhancement tool by them, over and above the contracted rate of interest.
- The central bank’s instructions were supposed to come into effect from January 1, 2024.
- Accordingly, REs shall ensure that the instructions are implemented in respect of all the fresh loans availed from April 1, 2024 onwards.
- Under the new rules, penalties, if charged, for non-compliance with the material terms and conditions of the loan contract by the borrower should be treated as ‘penal charges.’
- These guidelines apply to a range of financial institutions, including commercial banks, Small Finance Banks, Local Area Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs), and All India Financial Institutions.
RBI Designates SBI, HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs)
- State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank, both domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), will be required to set aside higher capital for the loans they make with effect from April 1, 2025, in the backdrop of their balance sheets growing bigger.
Key Highlights :
- The central bank has prescribed higher additional Common Equity Tier (CET) 1 requirement for SBI (bucket 3 to bucket 4 ) and HDFC Bank (bucket 1 to bucket 2) at 0.80 per cent (against 0.60 per cent up to March-end 2025) and 0.40 per cent (0.20 per cent), respectively, as a percentage of their Risk Weighted Assets (RWAs).
- For ICICI Bank, the additional CET 1 requirement continues at 0.20%.
- SBI, HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank continue to be identified as D-SIBs.
- While ICICI Bank continues to be in the same bucketing structure as last year, SBI and HDFC Bank move to higher buckets.
- RBI’s latest D-SIB update is based on the data collected from banks as on March 31, 2023 and factoring in the increased systemic importance of HDFC Bank post the merger of erstwhile HDFC Limited into HDFC Bank on July 1, 2023.
- Within the CRAR (capital to risk-weighted assets ratio) of 11.5% for banks, the CET-1 is at 5.5%.
- Beginning FY26, if SBI wants to make a loan, it will have to back it up with 12.3% of the loan amount as capital against 12.1% now, going by the D-SIB prescription.
- If HDFC Bank wants to make a loan, it will have to back it up with 11.9% of the loan amount as capital against 11.7% now, going by the D-SIB prescription
- RBI stated that SIBs are perceived as banks that are ‘Too Big To Fail (TBTF)’.
- This perception of TBTF creates an expectation of government support for these banks at the time of distress.
RBI permits ICICI Pru Mutual Fund to acquire 10% stake in Federal, RBL Bank
- Federal Bank stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has accorded approval to ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited (ICICI AMC) for acquiring up to 9.95 per cent stake in the bank.
- The approval granted by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is subject to the compliance with the relevant provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, RBI’s Master Direction and Guidelines on Acquisition and Holding of Shares or Voting Rights in Banking Companies dated January 16, 2023.
- Meanwhile, RBI also accorded approval to ICICI AMC to acquire 9.95 per cent stake in RBL Bank and Equitas Small Finance Bank.
About Federal Bank :
- Headquarters : Aluva, Kochi, Kerala, India
- MD & CEO : Shyam Srinivasan
About RBL Bank :
- Founded : August 1943
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- MD & CEO : R. Subramania kumar
About Equitas Small Finance Bank :
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
PM inaugurates, dedicates to the nation and lays the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crores in Tamil Nadu
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crores in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
- The development projects include rail, road, oil and gas, and shipping sectors in Tamil Nadu.
- Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R N Ravi, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M K Stalin, Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia, and Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Shri L Murugan were among others were present on the occasion.
Key Highlights
- At the public programme in Tiruchirappalli, the Prime Minister inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tiruchirappalli International Airport.
- Developed at a cost of more than 1100 crore, the two-level new international terminal building can serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3500 passengers during peak hours.
- The new terminal hosts state-of-the-art amenities and features for passenger convenience.
- The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the Demonstration Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing Plant (DFRP) at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.
- The DFRP, developed at a cost of Rs. 400 crore, is equipped with a unique design, which is the only of its kind in the world and can reprocess both carbide and oxide fuels discharged from the fast reactors.
- It is entirely designed by Indian scientists and signifies a crucial step towards building large commercial-scale fast reactor fuel reprocessing plants.
Modi govt raises Sukanya Samridhi Yojana interest rate ahead of Lok Sabha election 2024.3
- The Government recently raised the interest rates on the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) scheme by 20 basis points to 8.2 per cent from the existing 8 percent.
- SSY is a savings scheme launched in 2015 under the Government of India’s “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign, which aimed to promote the education of girl children.
- SSY is a small-deposit scheme tailored specifically for the girl child.
- This scheme enables guardians to open a savings account for their girl child with an authorized commercial bank or India Post branch.
Key Highlights
- Eligibility: The girl must be an Indian resident. The account can be initiated by the parent or legal guardian of the girl child.
- The girl child must be below the age of 10 at the time of opening the account. Only one SSY account is allowed per girl child.
- A family is limited to opening a maximum of two SSY scheme accounts. NRIs are not eligible to open these accounts.
- The girl must operate the account once she attains the age of 18 years.
- The minimum and maximum deposits that can be made in an account in a financial year are 250 and Rs.1.5 lakh, respectively. The deposits can be made in multiples of 100.
- Deposits towards the scheme should be made for a period of 15 years. However, the scheme matures after 21 years.
- No interest will be payable once the account completes twenty-one years from the date of opening.
- Withdrawal up to a maximum of 50% of the amount in the account at the end of the financial year preceding the year of application for withdrawal shall be allowed for the purpose of education of the account holder.
- Such withdrawal shall be allowed only after the account holder has attained the age of 18 years or has passed the 10th standard, whichever is earlier.
PM Modi to inaugurate ‘India’s longest sea bridge’ in Mumbai:
- The ambitious infrastructure project, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 January, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
- The MTHL project is 22 km long, touted to be India’s longest and the world’s 12 longest sea bridge.
- The project consists of an approximately 22 km long 6-tier (3+3-lane, 2 emergency lane) bridge connecting Shivdi in Mumbai city and Nhava on the mainland.
- It has been in the making since 2018.
- Originally expected to be completed in 4.5 years, the infrastructure project was delayed by eight months due to Covid-19 pandemic.
- Build at the cost of ₹17,843 crore, the six-lane bridge is among the most expensive projects.
- The MTHL will have interchanges at Sewri in Mumbai and Shivaji Nagar, Jassi, and Chirle on National Highway 4B on the Navi Mumbai end.
Bharatmala Phase 1 deadline extended by six years to FY28t
- The government has recently extended the deadline for completion of the highway development project Bharatmala Phase-I to 2027-28.
- Bharatmala Pariyojana is a centrally-sponsored project, approved by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) in 2017.
- It was to be completed by 2022 to enhance road connectivity and facilitate economic growth by constructing and upgrading highways across India.
- The Cabinet Committee had approved the first phase of Bharatmala Pariyojana in 2017 and was to cost Rs 5.35 trillion.
Key Highlights
- Already the sanctioned cost of projects that have been awarded are touching Rs 8.5 trillion.
- The Public Investment Board has appraised the revised cost of Bharatmala Pariyojana Phase-I at Rs 10.95 trillion.
- Actual spending under the project has been Rs. 4.10 trillion till October-end.
- It emphasized a “corridor-based National Highway development” to ensure infrastructure symmetry and consistent road user experience.
- It aimed to bridge critical infrastructure gaps through the development of 34,800 km of National Highways and 26,000 km of Economic Corridors.
- 27 Greenfield corridors are planned with an overall length of 9,000+ km.
- Greenfield corridors refer to the development of new infrastructure projects on previously unused or undeveloped land.
- Along with economic corridors, the Golden Quadrilateral (GQ) and North-South and East-West (NS-EW) Corridors will carry a majority of the Freight Traffic on roads.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India and Russia Sign Protocol for Consultations Over the Next 4 Years (2024-2028)
- A Protocol on Consultations signed by India and Russia for the period of the next four years (2024-28).
- The protocol aims to enhance progress in various domains, including economic cooperation, energy trade, connectivity, military-technical cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges.
- The protocol was signed during the official visit of India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, to Russia.
Key Highlights :
- Jaishankar held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow and discussed a range of issues, including the Indo-Pacific region, Ukraine, and the Israel-Gaza conflict.
- Jaishankar emphasized that the relations between India and Russia have been strong and stable, highlighting the responsibility of a strategic partnership.
- In addition to the protocol, India and Russia signed two important agreements to advance the implementation of the Kudankulam nuclear power projects in India.
About Russia :
- President : Vladimir Putin
- Prime Minister : Mikhail Mishustin
- Capital : Moscow
- Currency : Ruble
CURRENT AFFAIRS : STATE NEWS
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Launches “Abhaya Hastam” for Congress’ Six Guarantees Implementation in 100 Days
- Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy kickstarted “Abhaya Hastam”, a programme to implement the six guarantees as promised by the Congress before the elections, and the government was committed to implementing all the promises within 100 days.
Key Highlights :
- Under this, a special campaign ‘Praja Palana’ (People’s governance) was launched across the state on 28 December, 2023.
- The program, aimed at receiving applications from eligible beneficiaries of various schemes promised under Abhay Hastam, will end on January 6, 2024.
- The state government has also launched the format of the “Praja Palana” applications, the program logo, and other materials.
- The entire exercise of Praja Palana is to take the government to the doorstep of the people.
About Telangana :
- Governor : Tamilisai Soundararajan
- Chief Minister : Anumula Revanth Reddy
- Capital : Hyderabad
- National Park : Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park, Nehru Zoological Park
- Wildlife Sanctuary : Pakhal Lake And Wildlife Sanctuary, Eturnagaram Sanctuary, Pocharam Dam And Wildlife Sanctuary, Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary
CURRENT AFFAIRS: BUSINESS NEWS
GST collections rise 10% to Rs 1.64 lakh crore in December
- The gross Goods and Services Tax, GST revenue collection in the month of December, 2023 stood at one lakh 64 thousand and 882 crore rupees.
- The revenue for December is 10.3 percent higher than the GST revenues in the same month last year.
- The Finance Ministry in a statement said that out of the total GST revenue collected for the month, Central Goods and Services Tax, CGST collection is 30 thousand 443 crore rupees, State Goods and Services Tax, SGST is 37 thousand 935 crore rupees, Integrated Goods and Services Tax, IGST is around 84 thousand 255 crore rupees and cess is 12 thousand 249 crore rupees.
- The Ministry added that GST collection has witnessed a robust growth of 12 percent with the collection of 14.97 lakh crore rupees during the last nine months.
- During the same period in 2022, a total of 13.40 lakh crore rupees were collected.
- According to the Finance Ministry, the average monthly gross GST collection of 1.66 lakh crore rupees were recorded in the first nine months of this fiscal year.
- The Ministry said, the gross GST revenue collected in the last month is one lakh 64 thousand 882 crore rupees.
- The Ministry informed that the government has settled over 40 thousand crore rupees to central goods and services tax and over 33 thousand crore rupees to State Goods and Service Tax from Integrated Goods and Services Tax.
Uttar Pradesh investor base surpasses Gujarat to rank second with 89.47 lakh stock market investors
- The number of stock market investors in India has surged past the 8 crore milestone, registering a remarkable growth of 22.4% from the figure recorded on December 31, 2022, as per data from the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
- The total investor count as of December 25, 2023, stood at 8.49 crore from 6.94 crore on December 31, 2022.
- The state of Maharashtra tops the list of highest number of registered investors at 1.48 crore.
- Uttar Pradesh has ascended to the second position, surpassing Gujarat, with 89.47 lakh investors.
- Gujarat was in the third position with 76.68 lakh registered investors.
- Several other states saw a substantial rise in investor participation in the stock market.
- West Bengal, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan emerge as the leading states, each with an investor base of more than 47 lakh registered individuals.
- India’s market capitalisation crossed the $4 trillion mark and India is ranked fourth in the world in terms of market capitalisation.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: AWARDS AND HONOURS
Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’s Vice Chancellor Prof B R Kamboj honoured with M S Swaminathan Award
- Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. B.R. Kamboj has been honoured with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award in recognition of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.
- Thawar Chand Gehlot, the Governor of Karnataka, presented him with this award.
- The award ceremony took place at the International Conference on ‘One Health One World,’ held at Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia Agricultural University at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
- A special committee, constituted for the M.S. Swaminathan Award, selected Prof. B.R. Kamboj for his excellent achievements in the field of education, research, technology development and extension in agricultural science.
- Vice Chancellor, Prof. B.R. Kamboj is well aware of the common problems, needs and socio-economical conditions of the farmers.
- The agricultural recommendations put forth by Prof. Kamboj, stemming from his research work and collaborative extension activities with university scientists, have consistently proven to be highly advantageous for farmers.
- Prof Kamboj has published about 300 research papers and articles in national and international journals, books and technical magazines.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
HDFC Bank Board Grants 3-Year Extension to Atanu Chakraborty as Chairman
- Country’s biggest private sector lender HDFC Bank’s board has approved a three year extension to Atanu Chakraborty as non-executive chairman.
- The board has recommended the re-appointment of Chakraborty as the part-time non-executive chairman and independent director of the bank to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), for a second term of three years with effect from May 5, 2024 to May 4, 2027.
About Atanu Chakraborty :
- Chakraborty, a 1985 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, retired as Secretary of Department of Economic Affairs in April 2020.
- Prior to that, he was Secretary of the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).
- Both departments come under the finance ministry.
About HDFC Bank :
- Headquarters : Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
- Chairman : Atanu Chakraborty
- MD & CEO : Sashidhar Jagdishan
Pole Vaulter Katie Moon becomes ambassador for Mumbai Marathon
- Katie Moon, a two-time pole vault world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, has been appointed as the event ambassador for the 19th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.
- The Tata Mumbai Marathon is promoted by Procam International.
- It holds the prestigious status of being a World Athletics Gold Label Race.
- The Mumbai Marathon is recognized as one of the top 10 marathons in the world.
- With a prize money of USD 405,000, Mumbai Marathon 2024 will witness participation from across the globe.
Katie Moon’s Achievements :
- Katie Moon is a solo Olympic gold medallist.
- She has secured three medals at the World Athletics Championships, including a silver in the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade.
- She clinched a gold medal at the 2022 Eugene World Athletics Championships and the 2023 Budapest World Athletics Championships.
- In 2023, she also secured the top position in the Diamond League.
CURRENT AFFAIRS : SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Pakistan conducts successful flight test of indigenously developed rocket system Fatah-II
- Pakistan has successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed rocket system known as Fatah-II.
About Fatah-II :
- Fatah-II is a guided multi-launch rocket system developed by Pakistan.
- Fatah-II is capable of hitting targets with high precision up to a range of 400 kilometres.
- The ‘Fatah-II’ is “equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, sophisticated navigation system and unique flight trajectory,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the military.
- The launch of Fatah-II was witnessed by senior officers from tri-services, as well as dedicated scientists and engineers.
- Fatah-II features a sophisticated navigation system, enhancing its accuracy in hitting targets.
- The rocket system has a unique flight trajectory, contributing to its effectiveness in various scenarios.
- In October 2023, Pakistan successfully conducted a training launch of the Ghauri Weapon System.
- In August 2021, Pakistan conducted a successful test of an indigenously developed Fatah-1 guided multi-launch rocket system (MLRS).
About Pakistan:
- Capital: Islamabad
- Currency: Rupee
- President: Arif Alvi
Ammonia gas leak in Chennai’s Ennore
- Ammonia gas leaked from a fertiliser manufacturing unit in Ennore, north Chennai.
- Residents experienced shortness of breath and nausea due to the gas leak.
- More than 50 people were kept under observation in hospitals as a result of the gas leak.
- The gas leak was plugged in by specialists within 20 minutes.
Key Highlights :
- A technical committee has been set up by the government to address the situation.
- The committee comprises experts from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and officials from state and central pollution control boards.
Ammonia (NH3) Properties :
- Ammonia (NH3) is a pungent gas composed of nitrogen and hydrogen.
- It is a poisonous gas with a familiar noxious odour.
- It is produced from anaerobic decay of plant and animal matter.
- Ammonia is produced commercially via the catalytic reaction of nitrogen and hydrogen at high temperature and pressure.
- It can be used as a fuel in standard engines.
Reliance Jio and IIT-Bombay Collaborate to Develop ‘BharatGPT’ AI for India
- Reliance Jio Infocomm, an Indian telecom operator in India, is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay — the ‘Bharat GPT’ program.
- Announced by Akash Ambani, the chairman of Reliance Jio, this program aims to leverage the power of large language models and generative artificial intelligence (GPT) to transform various sectors in the country.
- The Bharat GPT program is part of Jio’s broader vision, known as “Jio 2.0”. Its main aim is to create a comprehensive ecosystem of development.
- The program’s main aim is to explore the vast potential of artificial intelligence in driving innovation across products and services.
- In addition to the Bharat GPT program, Ambani revealed that Reliance Jio is working on developing its own operating system (OS) for televisions.
- This operating system is envisioned to enhance the user experience on Jio’s devices and contribute to the company’s ecosystem of services.
- Reliance Jio is also working on developing its operating system (OS) for televisions.
CURRENT AFFAIRS: SPORTS NEWS
Australian batter David Warner announces retirement from One Day International cricket
- Australian batter David Warner has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals (ODIs).
- The 2-time ODI World Cup Winner had previously announced that he would be ending his Test career after Australia’s upcoming Test against Pakistan in Sydney.
- However, the opener has said that he will keep himself available for selection in the Champions Trophy in 2025.
- Warner is Australia’s sixth-highest run scorer in the ODI format and is only second to former captain Ricky Ponting’s tally for most Centuries for Australia in ODIs.
In Men’s Chess, Dommaraju Gukesh secures spot at a prestigious Candidates tournament
- In Men’s Chess, Dommaraju Gukesh has secured his spot at the prestigious Candidates tournament, which will take place in Toronto from April 2 to 25, 2024.
- Gukesh became the third Indian to make the Candidates tournament, joining R Praggnanandhaa and Vidit Gujrathi.
- This is the first time in history that three Indians are playing the Candidates.
- The winner gets the chance to take on China’s Ding Liren in the next World Chess Championship.
- In Women’s Candidates, Koneru Humpy and Rameshbabu Vaishali will represent the country.
- The winner of the tournament will face Ju Wenjun of China for the titles.
- The Eight-player event will be conducted in Round Robin format.
Daily CA One-Liner: January 2nd & 3rd
- The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of development projects worth more than Rs 20,000 crores in Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
- The Government recently raised the interest rates on the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) scheme by 20 basis points to 8.2 per cent from the existing 8 percent.
- The ambitious infrastructure project, the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 12 January, Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde.
- The government has recently extended the deadline for completion of the highway development project Bharatmala Phase-I to 2027-28.
- The gross Goods and Services Tax, GST revenue collection in the month of December, 2023 stood at one lakh 64 thousand and 882 crore rupees.
- The number of stock market investors in India has surged past the 8 crore milestone, registering a remarkable growth of 22.4% from the figure recorded on December 31, 2022, as per data from the National Stock Exchange.
- Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. B.R. Kamboj has been honoured with the prestigious M.S. Swaminathan Award in recognition of his contributions as a scientist and extension specialist in the field of agronomy.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) released a report titled ‘Trend and Progress of Banking in India’.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced its decision to extend the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) for two years up to December 31, 2025.
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to extend the timeline for implementation of guidelines for lenders on penal charges in loan accounts by three months.
- State Bank of India (SBI) and HDFC Bank, both domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs), will be required to set aside higher capital for the loans they make with effect from April 1, 2025, in the backdrop of their balance sheets growing bigger.
- Federal Bank stated that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has accorded approval to ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Limited (ICICI AMC) for acquiring up to 95 per cent stake in the bank.
- A Protocol on Consultations signed by India and Russia for the period of the next four years (2024-28).
- Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy kickstarted “Abhaya Hastam”, a programme to implement the six guarantees as promised by the Congress before the elections, and the government was committed to implementing all the promises within 100 days.
- Country’s biggest private sector lender HDFC Bank’s board has approved a three year extension to Atanu Chakraborty as non-executive chairman.
- Katie Moon, a two-time pole vault world champion and Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, has been appointed as the event ambassador for the 19th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon.
- Pakistan has successfully conducted the flight test of the indigenously developed rocket system known as Fatah-II.
- Ammonia gas leaked from a fertiliser manufacturing unit in Ennore, north Chennai.
- Reliance Jio Infocomm, an Indian telecom operator in India, is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay — the ‘Bharat GPT’ program.
- Australian batter David Warner has announced his retirement from One Day Internationals.
- In Men’s Chess, Dommaraju Gukesh has secured his spot at the prestigious Candidates tournament, which will take place in Toronto from April 2 to 25, 2024
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