Current Affairs
26th March 2024
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) MeitY Notifies PIB’s Fact Check Unit as Authorised Body for Centre under IT Rules 2021
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has notified the Fact Check Unit (FCU) under the Press Information Bureau (PIB) that it is a statutory body with the power to report inaccurate information about the Central government and its departments on social media platforms.
- The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has designated the FCU of the Indian government as the PIB.
- Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules 2021) Rule 3(1)(b)(v) gave permission for this announcement to be made.
Points to note:
- The regulation requires all social media and internet service providers to take reasonable steps to stop users from disseminating false or misleading information about the national government.
- It is mentioned that if social media companies decide to continue posting false information online, they risk losing their legal protection for user-generated content.
Note: Internet and telecom service providers, in addition to social media companies, will also be required to block that information. This implies that a web link to a specific report may be blocked.
Categories: All information received by the PIB FCU is divided into three categories: false, misleading, and true.
Operational Structure:
- Under the direction of the Principal Director General (DG) of the PIB, three Joint Director rank officers of the Indian Information Service oversee the management of the FCU.
- The Principal DG of PIB serves as the Government of India’s (GoI) principal spokesperson.
Latest Modifications:
- MeitY revised the IT Rules 2021 in April 2023, adding a clause requiring a government-run FCU to confirm any information pertaining to the national government.
- One of the amendments’ provisions called for the government to use an FCU to detect “fake, false, or misleading” internet content that has anything to do with the central government’s “business.”
About PIB’s FCU:
- The FCU under PIB was established in November 2019 with the goal of preventing the dissemination of false information.
- Countering false information about government programs, policies, and initiatives is its main objective.
- To guarantee accessibility for people with disabilities (PWDs), PIB’s FCU provides alternative text (ALT) in addition to social media posts.
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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
2) Highlights of PM Modi’s state visit to Bhutan from 22-23 March 2024
On March 22–23, 2024, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi traveled to Bhutan for a two-day state visit. At the Paro International Airport in Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, the Prime Minister of Bhutan, greeted him.
- In a public ceremony held at the Tendrelthang in Thimphu, Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan, bestowed upon PM Modi the Order of the Druk Gyalpo, the country’s highest civilian decoration. He was the first head of state from outside of Europe to receive this honor.
- In the presence of Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister of Bhutan, Tshering Tobgay, a number of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and agreements were signed in the areas of energy, trade, digital connectivity, space, and agriculture.
- PM Modi and Bhutan’s PM, Tshering Tobgay, opened the Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck Mother and Child Hospital in Thimphu, Bhutan, on March 23, 2024.
About Bhutan:
Prime Minister– Tshering Tobgay
Capital– Thimphu
Currency– Bhutanese Ngultrums(BNTs)
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3) India leads ITU’s Digital Innovation Board; Dr Neeraj Mittal elected as Co-Chair
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) unanimously chose Dr. Neeraj Mittal, Secretary of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, Government of India (GoI), to serve as Co-Chairman of the Digital Innovation Board.
The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development served as the umbrella organization for the formation of the board.
Note: The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) is called ITU.
About Digital Innovation Board:
- The board consists of the telecom and ICT ministers and vice ministers of 23 ITU member nations.
- Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT), is one of the other two co-chairmen of the board. Dr. “Bosun Tijani, Federal Republic of Nigeria Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy”
Points to note:
- From March 18–20, 2024, Dr. Neeraj Mittal led a high-level delegation to several meetings at the ITU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neeraj Mittal extended an invitation to ITU to host the World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) 2024 and the Digital Innovation Board’s subsequent meeting in India.
- At the ITU Area Office and Innovation Centre, New Delhi, Delhi, the ITU has chosen 17 organizations from all over the world to host the Network of Acceleration Centers, along with the Global Innovation Centre.
About Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance
- In response to the major unmet needs of ITU Membership in the area of innovation, as stated in the Kigali Action Plan, which was adopted at the World Telecommunication Development Conference 2022 (WTDC-22) and the Outcomes of ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2022 (PP-22), the ITU established the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Alliance for Digital Development.
- The Digital Transformation Lab, the Network of Acceleration Centers, and the Digital Innovation Board are the three primary vehicles of the Alliance.
- The purpose of the Digital Innovation Board is to build vital local enablers, foster innovation and entrepreneurship in digital development, and create a more equitable and inclusive digital future for everyone. The board was established to provide strategic guidance, expertise, and advocacy in this regard.
About the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
The International Telegraph Union (ITU) was founded in 1865 and changed its name to the International Telecommunication Union in 1934.
Secretary-General – Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Headquarters – Geneva, Switzerland
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4) UN’s 4th GEM Report: Global e-waste Generation Rising 5 Times Faster than Recycling
The global generation of electronic waste, or “e-waste,” is increasing five times faster than documented recycling of e-waste, according to the United Nations (UN) Global E-waste Monitor (GEM) 2024. The amount of e-waste produced worldwide is rising by 2.6 million tonnes (Mt) per year.
According to the report, global e-waste production increased by 82% from 2010 to 2022, reaching 62 Mt. This is the same as filling 1.55 million trucks with an average capacity of 40 tons.
Note: The Global E-Waste Monitor is now in its fourth edition. The three prior editions came out in 2020, 2017 and 2014.
About the Report:
- Since its launch in 2014, i.GEM has been a crucial resource for comprehending and resolving the growing problem of electronic waste, or e-waste.
- The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Fondation Carmignac, and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research – Sustainable Cycles Programme (UNITAR-SCYCLE) collaborated in the funding and preparation of the 2024 GEM report.
This is a crucial reference document that illustrates the global e-waste challenge and the position of the world’s governments and businesses.
Key Findings:
- In 2022, just 22.3%—less than a quarter—of the electronic waste was properly accounted for, gathered, and recycled.
- As a result, pollution risks increase globally and natural resources valued at USD 62 billion remain unrecovered.
- The generation of e-waste is expected to increase by 33% from 2022 to 82 Mt by 2030.
- It is anticipated that the recorded rate of collection and recycling will decrease from 22.3% in 2022 to 20% by 2030.
Challenges and Factors:
- The growing disparity is a result of rising consumption, fewer options for repairs, and technological improvements.
- The problem is made worse by shorter product life cycles, inadequate infrastructure for managing e-waste, etc.
Health and Environmental Impacts:
- Hazardous materials like mercury, which can harm the brain and nervous system and endanger both human health and ecosystem health, are found in e-waste.
- Trash containing a plug or battery, or “e-waste,” poses a risk to human health and the environment.
Points to note:
- Reaching 60% e-waste collection and recycling rates by 2030 may result in benefits greater than expenses by more than USD 38 billion.
- The continuation of relying on a small number of nations for rare earth elements highlights the need for environmentally friendly methods of producing and discarding technology.
- Valuable resources worth billions of dollars are discarded, and recycling only accounts for 1% of the demand for rare earth elements.
What is e-waste?
- Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) that has been discarded, along with its components, is known as “e-waste” and poses serious risks to human health and the environment.
- In some places and situations around the world, e-waste is also referred to as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), or e-scrap.
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5) United Nations adopts 1st Global Resolution on Artificial Intelligence
The first global resolution on artificial intelligence (AI) was unanimously adopted by the UNGA on March 21, 2024. It calls on countries to protect personal data, uphold human rights, and keep an eye out for any potential risks associated with AI.
The United States of America (USA) proposed the nonbinding resolution, which had 123 co-sponsors, including China, Cuba, and Russia.
Note: The draft resolution emphasizing the respect, protection, and advancement of human rights in the design, development, and application of AI was approved without a vote.
Key Points:
- The UNGA has never before passed a resolution on regulating a newly developed field.
- The resolution’s main goal is to employ AI to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN by 2030, including:
- Ending Global Hunger and Poverty
- Improving health worldwide
- Ensuring Quality Secondary Education for All Children
- Achieving Gender Equality.
Significance:
- It seeks to close the digital gap that separates wealthy developed nations from underdeveloped ones.
- The resolution guarantees that developing nations will have access to technology and the capacity to benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) in ways like disease detection, flood prediction, and workforce training for the coming generation.
Other Legislation on AI:
- The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act, 2024, the first comprehensive piece of artificial intelligence legislation in the world, was passed by the EU Parliament on March 13, 2024.
The act attempts to control the application of AI in areas such as facial recognition and biometric authentication. Additionally, this attempts to defend fundamental rights against dangers posed by AI, such as deepfakes. - A 20-page document dubbed the “first international framework on how to keep AI safe from rogue actors” was unveiled in November 2023 by the United States, the United Kingdom (UK), and more than a dozen other nations.
Tech companies are encouraged by the framework to create AI systems that are secure by default.
About United Nations(UN):
Secretary-General– Antonio Guterres (Portugal)
Headquarters– New York, USA
Established– 1945
Member countries– 193
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BANKING & FINANCE
6) Federal Bank Partners with NPCI to Introduce ‘Rupay Smart Key Chain –FlashPay’ for Contactless Payments
In order to facilitate contactless payments using the National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) at Point of Sale (POS) terminals and metro stations that are equipped with it, the Federal Bank and National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) introduced the Rupay Smart Key Chain, or “FlashPay.”
Features of FlashPay:
Customers do not need to use a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to make payments up to Rs. 5,000, but above that, any POS terminal will require a PIN authentication with a daily cap of Rs. 1,00,000.
About FlashPay
- Similar to the “Tap and Pay” (Card) feature, FlashPay is a kind of payment instrument that is connected to the bank account and can be used for contactless transactions.
- By providing users with small and fashionable solutions for smooth transactions, it blends state-of-the-art technology with unmatched convenience.
- The key chain eliminates the need for physical cards or cash by enabling users to make secure payments with a simple tap.
- Because contactless devices and cards have a limited range, successful transactions require that the FlashPay be three to four centimeters away from the POS terminal.
About Federal Bank Limited:
- Managing Director(MD) & Chief Executive Officer(CEO) – Shyam Srinivasan
- Headquarters – Aluva, Kerala
- Established – 1931
- Tagline – Your Perfect Banking Partner
About National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI)
Under the terms of the Payment and Settlement System Act of 2007, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Indian Banks Association (IBA) launched the NPCI initiative with the goal of building a strong payment and infrastructure in India.
- CEO – Dilip Asbe
- Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
- Incorporated – 2008
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ECONOMY & BUSINESS
7) India’s growth expected to be between 6.5% – 7% in FY25: DEA
According to the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) and the Ministry of Finance’s Monthly Economic Review report for February 2024, multiple agencies have projected India’s growth to range from 6.5% to 7% for the Financial Year 2024–2025 (FY25).
The report stated that a stable inflation rate, robust growth, and an increase in private investment would contribute to a positive economic outlook for FY25.
Projections made by various agencies related to India’s growth rate are:
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) projects growth at a rate of 7% for FY25, the upcoming fiscal year. In a similar vein, the Government of India (GoI) has forecast growth at a rate exceeding 7%.
- In the second advance estimate report, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has adjusted India’s growth rate for FY24 from 7.3% to 7.6%.
Key Findings:
- The research predicted a favorable inflation outlook for the upcoming fiscal years (2024–2025).
It suggests a declining trend in inflation, which further demonstrates a general relaxation of price pressures. - For the sixth consecutive month, retail inflation stayed steady and within the intended range.
- The research noted that robust domestic growth and steady global commodity prices are to blame for the ongoing decline in overall core inflation.
- It is anticipated that in FY24, a reduction in the merchandise trade deficit and an increase in net services receipts will strengthen the current account balance.
- The report issued a warning, advising the government to keep an eye on the FY25 current account deficit. To finance the capital formation of the private sector in the economy, the government must raise domestic household savings.
- The analysis emphasized that more capital inflows should result from the inclusion of Indian bonds in the Bloomberg index beginning in January 2025.
- The report listed a few of the difficulties, such as indications of a rising price for crude oil and trade barriers in the world supply chain.
- According to the Ministry of Finance, the tier-2 and tier-3 cities’ growing demand for residential real estate is what gives the construction industry the boost it needs.
About Ministry of Finance:
Union Minister: Nirmala Sitharaman (Rajya Sabha: Karnataka)
Minister of State (MoS): Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad (Rajya Sabha: Maharashtra), Pankaj Chaudhary (Lok Sabha constituency: Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh)
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8) UBS Estimates India’s GDP to Grow at 7% in FY 2024-25
The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in India is expected to decrease from the estimated 7.6% in FY24 to 7% in FY25, according to UBS Securities India Private Limited.
Growth has moderated as a result of lower public capital expenditure and global growth.
In FY 2025–2026, GDP growth in India is anticipated to decrease even more to 6.8%.
Note: With its headquarters located in Switzerland, UBS Securities India Private Limited is a subsidiary of UBS AG.
Key Points:
- It is reported that during the first three quarters of FY24, India’s GDP growth averaged more than 8%.
- In FY24, it is anticipated that India’s current account deficit (CAD) will decrease to less than 0.8% of GDP. This is anticipated to rise to 1.3% of GDP in FY25 as a result of sluggish global growth and strong domestic demand.
- The start of the rate-cut cycle will benefit fixed income markets as well and present a favorable chance to extend duration.
- In the near future, Indian bond yields without fixed income are probably going to stay range-bound.
Equity outlook:
- According to UBS, given the continued high level of geopolitical and economic risk, the Indian equities market is expected to be volatile in the near future.
- The Nifty index is predicted to increase by 12% by March 2025, reaching 25,200. Based on projected Earnings Per Share (EPS) of Rs 1,226 for March 2026, the Nifty target was set.
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AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
9) French mathematician Michel Talagrand Honoured with the 2024 Abel Prize
The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters announced Michel Pierre Talagrand, the French mathematician, as the 2024 Abel Prize winner in Oslo, Norway.
Michel Talagrand, a 72- year-old retired mathematician of French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), was honoured for his work in probability theory involved understanding random phenomenon particularly, Gaussian process.
Michel Talagrand is the 27th recipient of the Abel Prize, also known as the Nobel Prize for Mathematics, and he is the 5th Frenchman to receive the award.
Highlights:
- Michel Talagrand will receive the Abel Prize from King Harald V of Norway on May 21, 2024, during an award ceremony in Oslo, Norway.
- Latin American mathematician Luis A. Caffarelli received the Abel Prize in 2023 in recognition of his work on regularity theory for non-linear partial differential equations.
- Three particular areas of Talagrand’s work are recognized with the Abel Prize:
- Suprema of stochastic processes: The largest value that can be anticipated from a set of random values produced by a stochastic process is known as the “supremum.”
- Concentration of measures: It may seem counterintuitive, but when a process relies on a variety of random sources, rather than becoming more complex, the various random components may be able to balance each other out and yield more predictable outcomes.
- Spin glass: Physicists were initially surprised to learn that atoms could organize themselves into a unique form of matter known as a “spin glass,” leaving abstract probability theory behind.
About Michel Talagrand:
- In 1952, Michel Talagrand was born in France. He graduated with a PhD in mathematics from the University of Paris VI in 1977.
- In 1974, the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) hired him, and he retired from the organization in 2017.
- In 1997, he was chosen to serve as the French Academy of Sciences’ correspondent, and in 2004, he was admitted as a full member.
- Among Michel Talagrand’s other notable honors are the Shaw Prize in mathematics (2019) and the Fermat Prize for mathematical research (1997).
- In 2011, the French government bestowed upon him the title of Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor.
About Abel Prize:
- The Norwegian Parliament (The Storting) established the Abel Prize in 2002 to honor the mathematician Niels Henrik Abel.
- A cash prize of 7.5 million Norwegian Kronere (roughly $7,10,000) is awarded for this award.
- On behalf of the Ministry of Education, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters bestows the Prize.
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10) Indian Airline IndiGo Named ‘Airline of the Year’ at 2024 Air Transport Awards
At the 2024 Air Transport Awards, which took place in Ekali, Greece, the Indian airline IndiGo was named “Airline of the Year.”
- In 2023, IndiGo achieved a first for Indian airlines by transporting 100 million passengers in a single calendar year.
- The 2024 Air Transport Awards were held in collaboration with Hermes – Air Transport Organization and Air Transport News (ATN) to honor achievements in the aviation industry.
- It was also the first Indian airline to fly 2,000 flights in a single day.
- The company’s chairman and non-executive independent director is Dr. Venkataramani Sumantran.
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APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
11) Luis Montenegro Named as the Prime Minister of Portugal
Luis Filipe Montenegro Cardoso de Morais Esteves, the leader of the center-right Democratic Alliance (DA), was appointed Prime Minister (PM) of Portugal by President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.
About the PM Election:
- On March 10, 2024, a parliamentary election was held in which the Socialist Party (Pedro Nuno Santos) received 78 seats, the Chega Party (Andre Ventura) received 50 seats, and Montenegro emerged victorious with 80 seats out of a total of 230 seats.
- The Party needs 116 seats to form a majority.
- On April 2, 2024, he is scheduled to take over as prime minister, succeeding Antonio Costa.
- After eight years of socialist rule, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa invited him to form the new minority government.
About Luis Montenegro:
- Luis Montenegro(51), was born in Porto on 16 February 1973.
- He has been serving as the Leader of Opposition since 2022.
- He also served on the City Council from 1997 to 2001.
About Portugal
- Prime Minister – Luis Montenegro (As of April 2, 2024)
- Capital – Lisbon
- Currency – Euro
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12) FSIB Selects Girija Subramanian as CMD of NIAC; Bhupesh Sushil Rahul as CMD of UIIC
Girija Subramanian has been appointed by the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) to the position of Managing Director (CMD) and Chairperson of the New India Assurance Company (NIAC). At present, she is the Chief Medical Director of India Limited’s Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC).
- It also selected Bhupesh Sushil Rahul, who holds the position of AIC General Manager, as CMD of United India Insurance Company (UIIC).
- Girija Subramanian will succeed Neerja Kapur, who will retire in April 2024 as CMD of the NIAC.
- Bhupesh Sushil Rahul succeeds Satyajit Tripathy, who retired in February 2024 as CMD of UIIC.
- These names will be sent to the Department of Financial Services (DFS) which will send them to the Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for final approval.
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SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
13) (215884)Jayantmurthy: IAU Named Asteroid after Indian Professor Jayant Murthy
The asteroid 2005 EX296 has been named “(215884) Jayantmurthy” by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in honor of Indian Professor Jayant Murthy, who worked with the NASA New Horizons Science Team to observe the universe’s ultraviolet background radiation.
The IAU’s Working Group on Small Bodies Nomenclature, which is tasked with giving official names to all asteroids, comets, and other small objects in the Solar System, made the announcement on March 18, 2024.
- In 2005, M.W. Buie made the discovery of this asteroid at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, USA. Every 3.3 years, it completes an orbit around the Sun that passes between Mars and Jupiter.
- In Bengaluru, Karnataka’s Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Prof. Jayant Murthy retired in 2021 after serving as interim director.
Note: Two other former IAA directors, Prof. M.K. Vainu Bappu (1979 KN) and Prof. J.C. Bhatacharyya (1988 BX), have asteroids named after them: 8348 Bhattacharyya (1988 BX) and 2596 Vainu Bappu (1979 KN).
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ENVIRONMENT
14) MoS Shobha Karandlaje Releases a Dwarf Coconut Variety and two Hybrid Cocoa Varieties Developed by CPCRI
The Ministry of Agriculture, Farmers’ Welfare, and Food Processing Industries, along with Union Minister of State (MoS) Sushri Shobha Karandlaje, have introduced two new hybrid cocoa varieties, “VTL CH I” and “VTL CH II,” as well as a new dwarf coconut variety called Kulapa Suvarna.
- At the function held at the Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) in Kidu, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka, the MoS unveiled new varieties.
- The CPCRI developed the hybrid cocoa varieties as well as the dwarf coconut variety.
- Kalpa Suvarna’s tender nut water content is 431 milliliters, and its copra content is about 186 grams, with 64.5% of it being oil.
- Black pod rot disease, which is common in areas with heavy rainfall, is tolerable to VTL CH II.
- The two new cocoa varieties yield 1.5 kg to 2.5 kg of dry beans per tree per year.
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SPORTS
15) Table Tennis: India’s Sathiyan Gnanasekaran won Men’s Singles title at WTT Feeder Beirut 2024
Tamil Nadu native Sathiyan Gnanasekaran of India defeated fellow countryman Manav Vikas Thakkar of Gujarat in the championship match to win the men’s singles title at World Table Tennis (WTT) Feeder Beirut 2024.
- At a WTT Feeder Series tournament, he became the first Indian player to win a men’s singles trophy.
- WTT Feeder Beirut 2024 took place at the Al Kawthar Secondary School in Beirut, Lebanon, on March 19–21, 2024.
Key Points:
- This is Gnanasekaran’s first WTT event victory in the men’s singles division.
- Since the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Czech International Open 2021, this is also his first singles victory at an international ranking event.
India’s Manush Shah & Diya Chitale won Mixed Doubles title:
Manush Utpalbhai Shah from Gujarat and Diya Parag Chitale from Maharashtra defeated Manav Vikash Thakkar and Archana Girish Kamath from Karnataka in the finals to win the Mixed Doubles title at WTT Feeder Beirut 2024.
Other winners:
- Women’s Singles: Suh Hyo Won of South Korea was defeated by Luxembourg’s Xia Lian Ni in the championship match to win the women’s singles title. She now has two WTT Feeder titles for women’s singles.
- Men’s Doubles: Indian pair Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar were defeated by Cuban duo Andy Pereira and Jorge Campos in the championship match. They made history as the first Cuban duo to win the WTT championship.
- Women’s Doubles: Chantal Mantz (Germany) and Izabela Lupulesku (Serbia) were defeated in the finals by Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu to win the title.
Winners & Runners of WTT Feeder Beirut 2024:
|
Event |
Winners |
Runners-up |
| Men’s Singles |
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran (India) |
Manav Vikas Thakkar (India) |
| Women’s Singles |
Ni Xia Lian (Luxembourg) |
Suh Hyo Won (South Korea) |
| Men’s Doubles |
Andy Pereira and Jorge Campos (Cuba) |
Manav Thakkar and Manush Utpalbhai Shah (India) |
| Women’s Doubles |
Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu |
Chantal Mantz (Germany) And Izabela Lupulesku (Serbia) |
| Mixed Doubles |
Diya Parag Chitale and Manush Utpalbhai Shah (India) |
Manav Vikas Thakkar and Archana Girish Kamath(India) |
Note: The total prize money of the event was USD 22,500
About WTT Feeder Series:
- One of the three tiers of WTT events, along with the WTT Series and the WTT Youth Series, is the WTT Feeder Series.
- Since 2022, World Table Tennis, the International Table Tennis Federation’s business division, has been in charge of organizing it.
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IMPORTANT DAYS
16) World Water Day 2024 – March 22
Every year on March 22, the United Nations (UN) observes World Water Day, a day to celebrate water, encourage action to address the global crisis of water and sanitation, and highlight the importance of freshwater.
“Water for Peace” or “Leveraging Water for Peace” is the UN World Water Day 2024 theme.
The UN-Water leads the yearly commemoration of the day, which is organized by UN Water partners and members as well as a special task force that supports UN member states and other stateholders.
Background:
- The concept for World Water Day was first put forth in 1992 at the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- The UN General Assembly (UNGA) declared the 22nd of March to be World Water Day each year in December 1992 by adopting resolution A/RES/47/193.
- March 22, 1993, was designated as the first World Water Day.
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17) World Meteorological Day 2024 – March 23
Every year on March 23, the United Nations (UN) observes World Meteorological Day (WMD) to increase public awareness of issues relating to weather, water, and climate change as well as the Earth’s atmosphere and the role that each individual can play in protecting it.
- WMD observes a commemorative event every March 23rd to mark the anniversary of the Convention that established the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on March 23, 1950.
- “At the Frontline of Climate Action” is the theme for World Meteorological Day in 2024.
Themes for WMD are based on current concerns about the weather, climate, or water.
Background:
- The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) declared March 23rd of each year to be World Meteorological Day and adopted Resolution 6 (EC-XII) during its 12th session of the executive committee.
- 23 March 1961 saw the observation of the first-ever WMD.
About World Meteorological Organisation (WMO):
- Secretary-General– Professor Celeste Saulo
- Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland
- Established on– 23 March 1950
- WMO Members– 193 Members, including 187 Member States and 6 Territories
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18) Shaheed Diwas or Martyrs’ Day 2024 – March 23
- Every year on March 23, India observes Shaheed Diwas, also known as Martyrs’ Day, to commemorate the deaths of three Indian revolutionaries: Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru, and Sukhdev Thapar, who were put to death by the British government.
- The Day also honors the valiant freedom fighters who gave their lives to defend India’s independence.
Note: Every year, Shaheed Diwas is celebrated all over India by the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS).
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