Current Affairs for the year of 2024 - 2023

Eminent actor and theatre personality Sulabha Deshpande passed away 4 June 2016 in Mumbai. She was 79. Deshpande was considered to be one of the pioneers of the experimental theatre movement that swept Mumbai in the 1970s. Who was Sulabha Deshpande? • Sulabha Deshpande was an acclaimed Indian...

Fast Attack Craft INS Tarmugli was on 23 May 2016 commissioned into Indian Navy today by Vice Admiral HCS Bisht, AVSM, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command at Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. INS Tarmugli will be based in Visakhapatnam under the Naval Officer-in-Charge (Andhra Pradesh)...

Mori village in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh will be developed as a smart village of global standards. Towards this endeavor, the partners in the project on 19 June 2016 announced that prototype will be ready by mid-December 2016. Under the project, the village will be developed as a self-contained...

President Pranab Mukherjee on 11 May 2016 signed the warrant for the appointment of four judges to the Supreme Court. These include three chief justices of high court and one senior advocate. These names were recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on 4...

Distinguished scientist G Kalyanakrishnan on 8 June 2016 took over as Chief Executive of Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad. Kalyanakrishnan succeeds N Saibaba, who has retired on completion of two years of extended period of service. Kalyanakrishnan will also be the Chairman of the NFC Board. Who...

Rakesh Kumar Mishra on 19 May 2016 was appointed the new Director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Who is Rakesh Kumar Mishra? • Mishra is a noted expert in the study of function of genes. • He had joined...

First International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict was observed on 19 June 2016. The day was observed to raise awareness for the need to put an end to conflict-related sexual violence. It calls to honour the victims and survivors of sexual violence around the world and to pay...

Anant Maheshwari was on 1 August 2016 named as the President of Microsoft India by the parent company Microsoft Inc. Maheshwari will succeed Bhaskar Pramanik, who retires in March 2017. Maheshwari, who will join Microsoft India on 1 September 2016, will take over operations of the company on 1 January...

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members and partners on 6 June 2016 launched Anaconda-16 Exercise, the biggest ever joint military exercise in Poland. The drill is part of NATO's exercise program and is being held just weeks before NATO's summit in Warsaw that is expected to decide that...

International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples was observed on 9 August 2016 with theme Indigenous Peoples' Right to Education. The day was founded by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 23 December 1994 with adoption of resolution 49/214 proclaiming that the International Day of the...

Technology services provider Tech Mahindra Ltd (TechM) on 22 June 2016 acquired UK-based digital transformation firm The BIO Agency Ltd. The acquisition was carried out in an all-cash deal for an enterprise value of up to 45 million pounds. Highlights of the acquisition • The payment of 22 million...

Union Power Ministry and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched India’s first integrated web portal on 27 May 2016. The portal (www.nzeb.in) was designed to promote and mainstream Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZEB) in India. Special Features of the Portal •...

Sudhanshu Mani on 3 August 2016 was appointed as the General Manager of Integral Coach Factory (ICF). Prior to this, Mani worked as Chief Mechanical Engineer, Rail Wheel Factory, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Who is Sudhanshu Mani? • Sudhanshu Mani belongs to 1979 batch of Indian Railways Service of Mechanical...

Indian-origin diplomat Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir was on 17 June 2016 nominated as the next American Ambassador to Malaysia by US President Barack Obama. She will replace Joseph Y Yun, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service. About Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir • Kamala Shirin Lakhdhir served as the...

Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on 20 May 2016 tightened the norms for investing in Participatory Notes (P-Notes). The norms have been tightened with a view to check money laundering. As per the norms • It has been mandatory for P-Notes users to follow the provisions...

The Union Cabinet on 22 June 2016 approved a Special Package for employment generation and promotion of exports in Textile and Apparel sector. The package includes a slew of measures which are labour friendly and would promote employment generation, economies of scale and boost exports. The following...

Rajya Sabha on 1 August 2016 passed the Dentists (Amendment) Bill, 2016 with voice Vote. The Bill seeks to amend the Dentists Act, 1948. It also seeks to replace the Dentists (Amendment) Ordinance, 2016 and states that its provisions will come in to force from 24 May 2016. Lok Sabha passed the bill...

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) Mysuru on 4 August 2016 developed the Nutrice Cream. Nutrice cream was developed in association with M/s Oleome Biosolutions, Bengaluru and M/s Dairy Classic Ice Creams Pvt. Ltd....

The Union Government on 20 May 2016 constituted a committee of experts on defence spending. The 11-member committee will be headed by Lt Gen DB Shekatkar (retd) and include top military officers and civilian experts. The committee will recommend measures to enhance the combat capabilities of the over...

Noted sports promoter and founder chairperson of Reliance Foundation, Nita Ambani was elected as an individual member of International Olympic Committee (IOC) on 4 August 2016. She was elected by IOC members at the 129th Session of the world body in Rio de Janeiro. With this, she also becomes the first...

Vijay Rupani, the newly elected leader of Gujarat BJP, was sworn in as the 16th Chief Minister of Gujarat on 7 August 2016. Rupani, who succeeds Anandiben Patel, was the senior most cabinet minister in Anandiben Government. Apart from Rupani, Nitin Patel was also sworn-in as the Deputy Chief Minister...

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 17 June 2016 unveiled the iconic X-57 Hybrid Electric Research Plane nicknamed as Maxwell. The plane is fixed with 14 electric motors turning propellers and all of them are integrated into a uniquely-designed wing. NASA will use this plane...

The Union Ministry of AYUSH and the World Health Organization (WHO) on 13 May 2016 signed the Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) for cooperation on Global promotion of Traditional Systems of Medicine. The agreement was signed by Ajit M Sharan, Secretary of Union Ministry of AYUSH and, Dr Marie Kieny,...

Justice Iqbal Ahmed Ansari was on 29 July 2016 sworn in as the Chief Justice of Patna High Court. His oath of office was administered by Bihar Governor Ramnath Kovind at Raj Bhawan in Patna. Justice Ansari had worked twice as Acting Chief Justice of Patna High Court since December 2014 before being...

Union Government has decided to reduce the number of Maoist-affected districts by about a fifth. As per reports, about 20 out of 106 districts described as being Maoist-affected and part of the Red Corridor may soon no longer be part of the list. Dropping of these districts from the list will result...

Rahul Johri on 1 June 2016 assumed charge as first ever chief executive officer (CEO) of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Mumbai. He was appointed on the recommendation of the Justice Lodha Committee. About Rahul Johri • He will be report to the BCCI secretary Ajay Shirke and...

112, the single emergency number that will help people to reach immediate services of police, ambulance and fire department will be operational throughout India from 1 January 2017. Single emergency number 112 of India will be similar to the '911' all-in-one emergency service in the United States. Highlights...

The Union Cabinet on 15 June 2016 gave its approval for Indian membership of the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) consortium. The approval clears the path for signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the GFZ - Helmholtz Centre Potsdam (German Research Centre for geosciences)....

Kazakhstan’s Dmitriy Balandin on 10 August 2016 won gold medal in the men's 200-meter breaststroke final. It is Balandin’s first Olympic medal. With Balandin's win comes Kazakhstan's second gold medal of the 2016 Olympics. It is the country's first-ever medal in a swimming event. United...

D K Gayen on 4 August 2016 assumed charge of General Manager of East Central Railway (ECR) with headquarters at Hajipur in Bihar. Gayen succeeds Rajeev Mishra, GM of Eastern Railways, who was holding additional charge of ECR. Gayen is a 1979 batch officer of Indian Railway Service for Mechanical Engineers...