Daily Current Affairs 26 & 27 January 2024 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.
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NATIONAL NEWS
India to start world’s first black tiger safari in Odisha
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has unveiled plans for the establishment of the world’s first ‘black tiger safari’ near the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj. This visionary project aims to provide tourists and visitors with a rare glimpse of the melanistic tigers, commonly known as black tigers, recently spotted at the Similipal National Park.
- The proposed safari site, near Baripada and spanning 200 hectares, will be strategically located adjacent to National Highway 18. Out of this area, 100 hectares will be dedicated to the display zone, while the remaining space will be utilized for essential infrastructure, including veterinary care facilities, a rescue center, staff amenities, and visitor services.
- The safari aims to house surplus tigers from Nandankanan Zoo and rescued or orphaned tigers unfit for the wild but suitable for display in an open enclosure. This combination of conservation efforts and educational initiatives is expected to attract a substantial number of visitors, further enhancing the appeal of the Similipal Tiger Reserve.
CoRover.ai unveils BharatGPT a GenAI as a Service
CoRover.ai has unveiled BharatGPT, India’s first Large Language Model (LLM), aiming to revolutionise AI conversations across 22 Indian languages. Positioned as an Indigenous Generative AI platform, BharatGPT integrates with voice and text modalities, offering an unique solution to language diversity challenges, CoRover.ai said.
- The model boasts integration for voice modality in over 12 Indian languages and text modality in 22 languages, thanks to the collaboration with the National Hub of Language Technology (NHLT) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s National Language Translation Mission (NLTM).
India’s second VLF communication station to come up in Telangana
In a significant development, the Telangana government has transferred 1,174 hectares of forest land under the Damagudem Reserve Forest near Pudur village in Vikarabad district to the Indian Navy to set up India’s second Very Low Frequency (VLF) radar station.
- This significant development is set to take place in the Vikarabad district, with the new VLF center scheduled for completion by 2027.
- This is the second station in the country. INS Kattabomman Radar Station at Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, was the first of its kind. It has been serving the Navy since 1990.
Swachh Survekshan 2023: Bhopal ranks high in swachhata
The diligent endeavours of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation have had a noticeable impact on Swachh Survekshan-2023. Moving up from the 6th position in 2022, Bhopal is now the 5th cleanest city among those with a population of over 1 lakh. Bhopal has also been awarded a 5-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating, making it the cleanest State capital in the country.
- Bhopal has also been awarded a 5-star Garbage Free City (GFC) rating, making it the cleanest State capital in the country. Additionally, Bhopal ranks 5th amongst the cleanest million plus cities.
- Bhopal’s ascent in recent years can be attributed to its adoption of best practices, innovation, and distinctiveness. Let’s delve into what sets Bhopal apart from the rest. The city produces 850 tons of waste daily, and the entire waste stream is processed every day.
President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurates Kaushal Bhawan – a testament to the commitment to empower India’s Yuva Shakti
In a momentous occasion filled with pride, the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the Kaushal Bhawan a symbol of India’s unwavering dedication to empowering the country’s youth through skills.
- Kaushal Bhawan is a manifestation of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s vision to empower the youth under Skill India Mission, reiterating the crucial role of skills in capacity building and creating a future ready workforce.
- The programmes and initiatives envisioned at Kaushal Bhawan by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) are poised to be a catalyst for fulfilling the aspirations and nurturing India’s young talent, guiding the nation towards a brighter and more skilled future.
14th All-India Police Commando Competition held in VizagÂ
The 14th All-India Police Commando Competition hosted by Andhra Pradesh at the AP Police Greyhounds training facility.
- Around 16 states have sent their elite commando forces for the competition including forces such as the Special Operations Group (SOG) from Odisha and Chhattisgarh, C- 60 from Maharashtra, the paramilitary forces such as BSF, CRPF, Assam Rifles, ITBP, RPF, SSB and CISF, among others.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India, France, UAE conduct mega air exercise over Arabian Sea
India, France and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) carried out a mega air exercise over the Arabian Sea against the backdrop of the rising global concerns over Houthi militants targeting several commercial vessels in the strategic waterways in the region.
- The exercise ‘Desert Knight’, conducted featured several frontline aerial assets and combat jets of the air forces of the three countries, officials said.
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) component at the drills consisted of Su-30 MKI, MiG-29 and Jaguar fighter jets besides AWACS (airborne early warning and control aircraft, C-130-J transport plane and air-to-air refuelling aircraft.
Saudi Arabia to open first government-run liquor store
Saudi Arabia is preparing to open its first alcohol store in the capital Riyadh which will serve exclusively non-Muslim diplomats.
- Customers will have to register via a mobile app, get a clearance code from the foreign ministry, and respect monthly quotas with their purchases.
- The move is a milestone in the kingdom’s efforts, led by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to open the ultra-conservative Muslim country for tourism and business as drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.
BUSINESS & ECONOMY
Direct tax-to-GDP ratio at 23-year high in FY23: CBDT
India’s direct tax-to-GDP ratio hit a 15-year high of 6.11 percent in 2022-23, hovering near its peak of 6.3 percent reached in 2007-08, according to data released by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
- The data, released late on January 23, showed that the contribution of direct taxes – which majorly comprises corporate tax and personal income tax – to total tax collections has reached the pre-pandemic levels. In 2022-23, direct taxes made up 54.62 percent of the government’s total tax revenue, up from 52.27 percent in 2021-22 and 46.84 percent in 2020-21 – the lowest in 15 years.
AWARDS
Shastri, Engineer honoured with Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) awards announced the 2024 edition of its awards and conferred former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri and former Indian wicketkeeper-batter Farokh Engineer with the Colonel CK Nayadu Lifetime Achievement Award.
BCCI list Of Awards:
Polly Umrigar Award for Best Men’s International Cricketer
Mohammed Shami for 2019-20, Ravichandran Ashwin for 2020-21, Jasprit Bumrah for 2021-22, Shubman Gill for 2022-23
Best International Cricketer (Women)
Deepti Sharma for 2019-20 and and 2022-23, Smriti Mandhana for 2020-21 and 2021-22
Best International Debut (Women)
Priya Punia for 2019-20, Shafali Verma for 2020-21, S Meghana for 2021-22, Amanjot Kaur for 2022-23
Best International Debut (Men)
Mayank Agarwal for 2019-20, Axar Patel for 2020-21, Shreyas Iyer for 2021-22, Yashasvi Jaiswal for 2022-23
Col CK Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award
Farokh Engineer and Ravi Shastri
Most Wickets in Women’s ODIs
Poonam Yadav for 2019-20, Jhulan Goswami for 2020-21, Rajeshwari Gayakwad for 2021-22, Devika Vaidya for 2022-23
Most Runs in Women’s ODIs
Punam Raut for 2019-20, Mithali Raj for 2020-21, Harmanpreet Kaur for 2021-22, Jemimah Rodrigues for 2022-23
Dilip Sardesai Awards
Most Runs (Test Series, Men): Yashasvi Jaiswal, IND vs WI
Most Wickets (Test Series, Men): Ravichandran Ashwin, IND vs WI