Current Affairs Question and Answers for Competitive Exams

Indian Navy's Oceanographic Research Ship, INS Sagardhwani, has departed for Oman on Sagar Maitri Mission-4. The mission aims to establish long-term scientific partnerships and collaborations with Indian Ocean Rim countries for ocean research and development. It will also showcase India's capabilities in marine science and technology.

Dr. Arvind Panagariya has been appointed as the new Chairman of the Finance Commission of India. The Finance Commission is a constitutional body that gives recommendations on Centre-State financial relations. Dr. Panagariya is an eminent economist who has served as the first Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog. He will now head the 16th Finance Commission, which will suggest the tax transfer formula between the Center and states for 5 years, starting from 2026-27. The appointment follows the establishment of a new Finance Commission by the President through a notification dated December 31, 2023.

Every year January 4 is celebrated as World Braille Day to increase the importance of Braille, which serves as a communication medium for blind and partially sighted people. The day was first established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 and January is celebrated as Braille Literacy Month. Louis Braille, the French teacher who invented the Braille system, was born on January 4, 1809.

Ved Prakash Nanda, who received the Padma Bhushan award on 20 March 2018 in the field of literature and education, died on 1 January 2024. He was a distinguished professor of international law at the University of Denver, Colorado, indicating that his primary academic expertise was in international law. His significant contributions to this field were recognized through the establishment of the Veda Nanda Center for International and Comparative Law at the University of Denver, which emphasized his profound influence and expertise in international law.

China launched its first domestic cruise ship, Adora Magic City, from Shanghai port on its maiden commercial voyage in January 2024. With amenities such as a mahjong room and hotpot restaurant, the 16-deck luxury ship targets China's growing domestic tourism market as national pride in indigenous manufacturing grows. Its success is seen as a demonstration of China's shipbuilding capability and an effort to compete with foreign cruise ships.

Bangladeshi economist Muhammad Yunus, along with the Grameen Bank he founded, received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to poverty alleviation through pioneering microfinance services. By providing small loans to entrepreneurs lacking access to traditional banking, their microcredit model provided support to millions of people. Recently, Yunus faced legal troubles in Bangladesh over alleged violations of labor laws by Grameen Telecom, with critics saying it was political retaliation for his earlier opposition to government policies.

Doctors at Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai have indigenously developed Preval, the first chemotherapy drug in India to be available as a syrup formulation. These were earlier not available in liquid form in developing countries. Preval effectively overcomes the challenges of pediatric dosage flexibility, palatability and tolerability compared to tablets.

Recently, the court said that the arbitrary court order to summon government officials in judicial proceedings is contrary to the scheme envisaged by the Constitution and a standard operating procedure has been prepared on this issue. Arbitrary court orders to summon government officials in judicial proceedings are not in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution. Along with this, the Supreme Court decided the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) in this matter. The SOP aims to outline guidelines and prevent excessive use of subpoena power by courts which often puts pressure on the government. It said that officers cannot be summoned merely because their stand is different from the view of the court. This step brings much-needed reforms to strengthen executive-judiciary coordination by avoiding unnecessary harassment of government officials.

Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar released his new book “Why India Matters” at an event in New Delhi. The book examines India's change in foreign policy over the past decade under PM Modi. It also connects India's development with Ramayana. Jaishankar underlined how 2024 will be turbulent due to geopolitics but India can face challenges given its strengths.

The female cheetah 'Asha', named by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave birth to three cubs inside the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh. This important event is a major milestone for the cheetah restoration project in India. Officials are closely monitoring Asha and the cubs to ensure healthy growth and development.