Daily Current Affairs (One Liner) – 3-4 March 2024

• The 66th Network Planning Group (NPG) meeting in New Delhi, chaired by the Additional Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, assessed three projects from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and two from the Ministry of Railways.
• The Integrated Multimodal NPG oversees unified planning and integration for connectivity infrastructure ministries, facilitating stakeholder interactions.
• It guides departments in creating economic zones and connectivity infrastructure, aligning with the National Master Plan objectives to minimize disruptions and enhance efficiency in national infrastructure projects.

• Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the AYUSH-ICMR Advanced Center for Integrated Health Research at AIIMS in New Delhi.
• It aims to provide holistic health care to patients by using both traditional Indian knowledge and modern medicine together.
• These centers will be set up at various AIIMS locations such as AIIMS Delhi, AIIMS Jodhpur, AIIMS Nagpur and AIIMS Rishikesh.

• Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal recently inaugurated a 60T Bollard Pull Tug and Medical Mobile Unit (MMU) named ‘Ocean Grace’.
• Ocean Grace is a made-in-India ASTDS tug built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• It has been developed under the Green Tug Transition Program (GTTP).

• Defense Minister Rajnath Singh launched ‘ADITI scheme’ to promote innovations in critical and strategic defense technologies during DefConnect 2024 in New Delhi.
• Under the scheme, start-ups will be eligible to receive grant assistance of up to Rs 25 crore for their research, development and innovation efforts in defense technology.
• Rs 750 crore has been allocated under this scheme for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26.

Theme – 2024 –

•  Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation

Theme 2023 –

• “Partnership for Wildlife Conservation”

History-

• On December 20, 2013, the United Nations General Assembly, at its 68th session, declared March 3 as World Wildlife Day.
• World Wildlife Day was celebrated for the first time on 3 March 2014.

• The Zoological Survey of India has named a new marine species of ruby ​​red-spotted head-shield sea slug after Indian President Draupadi Murmu.
• This species belonging to the Melanochlamys genus was discovered from Digha on the West Bengal coast and Udaipur on the Odisha coast.
• The new species of head-shield sea slug, which is found nowhere else in the world, has been named ‘Melanochlamys droupadi’.

10th Pro Kabaddi League

• Event – 2 December 2023 to 1 March 2024
• Total Teams – 12
• Winner – Puneri Paltan
• Runner up – Haryana Steelers

• Border Security Force (BSF) sub-inspector Suman Kumari has become the first woman sniper of the Border Security Force.
• Suman recently completed an eight-week sniper course at the Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT), Indore and achieved ‘Instructor Grade’.
• Suman is a resident of Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh. She joined BSF in the year 2021.

• The Global Resources Outlook 2024 report was launched during the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
• This is the flagship report of the International Resources Panel of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP). UNEP is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations.

• Exercise ‘Samudra Laksamana’ was recently conducted between the Indian and Malaysian navies off the coast of Visakhapatnam.
• It is a joint naval exercise between the Indian Navy and the Royal Malaysian Navy. This was the third edition of this exercise.

• Former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Laxmi Murdeshwar Puri launched the first book “Swallowing the Sun: A Novel”.

• The Odisha government is establishing the State Water Information Centre (SWIC) to coordinate, store, and disseminate water resource data.
• Operating under the Water Resources Department, it aims to maintain a comprehensive repository of hydro-meteorological data for Odisha.
• The center will be staffed with experts in water resources management and data handling.
• Additionally, the approval for contractual supervisors will enhance service delivery in Internal Child Development Services in Odisha.

• Uttar Pradesh has marked a milestone by issuing 5 crore Ayushman cards, making it the first state to do so under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
• The state boasts 50,017,920 issued cards, benefiting 74,382,304 individuals across 3,716 hospitals.
• With 3,481,252 health claims filed, an impressive 92.48% were settled, reflecting the scheme’s success. Sangeeta Singh, CEO of the State Agency for Comprehensive Health, credits the achievement to continuous support from the National Health Authority and the dedication of various healthcare workers.

• The leopard population in Amrabad Tiger Reserve, Telangana, has significantly increased, as per the recent ‘Status of Leopards in India’ report.
• Spanning 2611.4 sq km, it is one of India’s largest tiger reserves and the second-largest in core area.
• Originally part of Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, Amrabad Tiger Reserve emerged post-state bifurcation. Situated in Nagarkurnool and Nalgonda districts, it encompasses Nallamala Forest and vital water sources like Srishailam Dam and Nagarjunsagar Dam, fed by Krishna River.

• The Union Cabinet has approved three semiconductor projects worth Rs 1.26 lakh crore The country’s first semiconductor fab will be set up in Dholera, Gujarat.
• Along with this, semiconductor units will be set up in Morigaon in Assam and Sanand in Gujarat.

• PM Modi dedicated the HURL Sindri Fertilizer Plant in Jharkhand on March 1, 2024, addressing India’s urea demand.
• The nation requires 360 lakh metric tons yearly, but in 2014, produced only 225 lakh metric tons.
• Thanks to government efforts, production increased to 310 lakh metric tons in the last decade. Modi revealed plans to revive more plants by 2025, ensuring affordable fertilizers for farmers and generating employment opportunities for local youth, including the Talcher Fertilizer Plant.

• Former Uttar Pradesh Governor and Congress leader Aziz Qureshi passed away in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh at the age of 82.

• Professors from Madras University, Tamil Nadu discovered a children’s graveyard in Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu.
• This cemetery is said to be of the Neolithic period, which is said to be between 2500 BC and 3000 BC.

• Union Minister of Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched Project ODISERV of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in Sambalpur, Odisha.
• Project ODISERV has been launched by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the National Skill Development Corporation by Bajaj Finserv Limited.
• Objective – To provide employment to youth in the financial  services sector.