Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the country’s first Skill India Center (SIC) in Sambalpur, Odisha.
International Affairs
International Relations
2. Which country hosted the 3rd meeting of the ASEAN-India Tradein Goods Agreement (AITIGA)? – India
The ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement (AITIGA) Joint Committee met in New Delhi from February 16-19, 2024, marking its 3rd meeting since the agreement’s signing in 2009.
Initiated in September 2022 for a comprehensive review, eight sub-committees were established to enhance the agreement’s trade facilitation and mutual benefits.
3. Which country has recently become the new member of the International Solar Alliance? – Malta
The central Mediterranean countryMalta has recently become a new member of the International Solar Alliance.
India has welcomed Malta as the 119th country to join the International Solar Alliance.
Christopher Cutajar, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malta signed the ISA Framework Agreement in New Delhi.
ISA was established in the year 2015, its headquarters is in Gurugram, India.
International Events
4.What is the purpose of the European Union’s recently launched ‘Mission Aspides’ in the Red Sea? – Protection of commercial vessels from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels
Uttar Pradesh secures ₹740 crore, the highest in India, under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) Scheme, a revamped version of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA).
The centrally sponsored scheme, under the Ministry of Education, aims to enhance the quality of state higher educational institutions in line with the National Education Policy 2020.
PM-USHA emphasizes conformity to prescribed norms, standards, and accreditation for quality assurance in higher education.
6. Mukhya Mantri Harit Vikas Chhattravriti Yojana, recently seen in the news, is launched by which state? – Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh’s 2024-25 annual budget prioritizes environmental concerns, unveiling the Mukhya Mantri Harit Vikas Chhattravriti Yojana for postgraduate researchers.
Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, in the February 17 presentation, emphasized climate change threats and outlined action plans at district and Panchayat levels.
The state aims to collaborate with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and the German development agency GIZ to address climate change’s impact on agriculture and horticulture, conducting a need assessment study for effective mitigation.
7. Union Minister Ashini Vaishnav has been elected Rajya Sabha member from which state? – Odisha
Astronomers announced the discovery of J0529-4351, the brightest and fastest-growing quasar to date.
This quasar harbors a supermassive black hole 17 billion times the Sun’s mass.
Quasars are active galactic nuclei (AGNs), fueled by supermassive black holes at a galaxy’s center.
Not all AGNs are quasars, which form in regions of high matter density.
Quasars are exceptionally luminous and powerful cosmic phenomena, arising from active galaxies with intense matter consumption, leading to the formation of spiraling accretion disks.
Short News
Exercises & Operations
9. Where is the naval exercise ‘Milan’ 2024 being organised? – Visakhapatnam
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will officially inaugurate the 12th edition of MILAN 2024, a major naval exercise conducted by the Indian Navy in Visakhapatnam.
On this occasion, he will also inaugurate Milan Village at Eastern Naval Command Base.
The city of Visakhapatnam is all set for the official launch of MILAN 2024, the largest multinational naval exercise of the Indian Navy.
10. In which country is the multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Prayas IV’ being organised? – Nepal
India won a total of four medals including three gold and one silvermedal in the Asian Indoor Athletics Championship held in Tehran.
A total of 13 Indian athletesparticipated in the eleventh edition of the Asian Indoor Athletics Championships 2024, which included six female and seven male players.
