Daily Current Affairs Capsules 8th January 2024

1. Mcap club: Tata group remains No1; Murugappa,JSW in top 10

In the news:

• Tata Group remained India’s largest business conglomerate in market capitalization in the calendar year 2023.
• The Mukesh Ambani camp raced ahead of the Adani businesses to become the second-largest.
• The Tata Companies ended 2023 with a combined group market capitalization of ₹28.68 trillion, up 35% from the ₹21.2 trillion at the end of December 2022.
• Ambani’s group m-cap is ₹19.42 trillion at the end of CY23, up 10.7 percent from the ₹17.6 trillion a year ago.

2. EFTA: Trade deficit, Swiss blanket removal of import duties to hurt India

In the news:

• Large trade deficit with Switzerland and its decision to remove import duties on almost all industrial goods for all countries starting January 1, 2024 would limit gains for India under the proposed trade agreement with EFTA bloc.
• Report by: Economic think tank GTRI
• Switzerland’s decision to eliminate import duties on all industrial goods for all countries starting January 1, 2024 changes the dynamics of the negotiations.
• This tariff removal does not extend to fishery and agricultural products.
• India and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) are negotiating a free trade agreement, officially dubbed as Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with a view to boosting economic ties.
• FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations were initiated in January 2008.
• EFTA members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

3. Kyrgyzstan declares Snow Leopard as National Symbol

In the news:

• Kyrgyzstan officially declared the snow leopard its national symbol, demonstrating its commitment to conservation and ecological balance.
• Kyrgyzstan’s President ‘Sadyr Japarov’ signed a decree on December 30, 2023.
• Snow Leopard Scientific name: Panthera uncia
• It is called the ‘ghost of the mountains’.
• Mountainous regions of Central and Southern Asia.
• Number of countries with snow leopard range (12) – Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
• Snow Leopard Habitat in India:
• Western Himalayas; Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh
• Eastern Himalayas: Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh
• IUCN Red List – Vulnerable

4. IIT-Delhi team makes first hi-res landslide risk map for India

In the news:

• IIT Delhi’s Manabendra Saharia, an assistant professor in the civil engineering department and head of the HydroSense Lab at IIT Delhi, initiated its creation due to the absence of comprehensive country-wide data.
• IIT Delhi’s Manabendra Saharia, an assistant professor in the civil engineering department and head of the HydroSense Lab at IIT Delhi, initiated its creation due to the absence of comprehensive country-wide data.
• The use of GeoSadak, an online system that has data on the national road network in India,aided in obtaining crucial road network data for remote areas.
• The ‘Indian Landslide Susceptibility Map’ with a 100m resolution, set to be published in Catena, is recognized as a significant contribution.

5. 10th Century Kadamba inscription written in Kannada, Sanskrit found in Goa

In the news:

• An inscription from the Kadamba period, dated to the 10th century AD, has been discovered in the Mahadeva temple at Kakoda in South Goa.
• Kadamba inscription is written in Kannada and Sanskrit.
• The paragraph on this inscription begins with a wonderful sentence, ‘Be well’, i.e. ‘Swasthi Shri’.
• Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks in Goa:
• Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
• Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary
• Netravali Wildlife Sanctuary
• Cotigao Wildlife Sanctuary
• Bhagwan Mahavir Sanctuary

6. Delhi’s per capita income soars by over 14% to Rs 4,44,768

In the news:

• According to the Statistical Handbook-2023, Delhi’s per capita income increased by 14%, hitting Rs 4,44,768 in 2022-23.
• Public Services Milestones: An average of 41 lakh passengers daily commuted on buses in 2023.
• Electric Vehicle Leadership: Boasting 7,200 buses on the streets, including 1,300 electric buses.
• Utilities Expansion: The number of electricity consumers increased by nearly 2.8 lakh, and over 1 lakh water connections were added in 2022-23.
• Social Welfare Initiatives:
• Free Electricity Scheme
• Minimum Wages Leadership: Delhi has the highest minimum wages in the country: Rs 17,494 for unskilled, Rs 19,279 for semi-skilled, and
• Rs 21,215 for skilled workers

7. Tata Power to invest 70K Cr rupees in green units

In the news:

• Tata Power Company is all set to invest a whopping ₹70,000 crore for 10 giga watt (GW) solar and wind units in Tamil Nadu.
• Tenure: 5 Years
• This is in addition to a new greenfield 4.3 Gw solar cell and module manufacturing facility that the company is coming up with at Tirunelveli.
• TPREL, a subsidiary of Tata Power Company, will set up a 41 Mw captive solar plant in Thoothukudi for TP Solar Limited new greenfield 4.3 Gw solar cell and module manufacturing facility located at Tirunelveli.
• The captive plant will help generate 101 million units of electricity and offset around 72,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

8. List of  81st Golden Globe Awards 2024

In the news:

• The 81st Golden Globe Awards was held on January 7, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California, a western US state.
• Hosted by: Joe Koy
• Maximum nomination: Barbie (9) and Oppenheimer (8)
• Note:
• First Indian to win a Golden Globe Award: AR Rahman (Best Score category for the film Slumdog Millionaire)
• First Asian song to win a Golden Globe: Natu Natu (in 2023)

9. Karnataka Bank & Satin Creditcare sign up for co-lending

In the news:

• Karnataka Bank and Satin Creditcare Network have signed a co-lending arrangement to provide financial support to joint liability groups (JLG) of economically active women.
• Area: In both rural and semi-urban areas
• Karnataka Bank and Satin Creditcare Network have signed a co-lending arrangement to provide financial support to joint liability groups (JLG) of economically active women.
• Area: In both rural and semi-urban areas
• The arrangement will leverage Karnataka Bank’s low cost of funds and end-to-end digital capabilities
• HQ of Karnataka Bank: Mangaluru
• Karnataka Bank MD & CEO Srikrishnan H

10. Vikas Sheel appointed as Executive Director Asian Development Bank

In the news:

• Senior IAS officer, Vikas Sheel has been appointed as Executive Director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Manila.
• Smita Sarangi has been appointed as Adviser to the Executive Director at ADB in Manila, Philippines.
• Other appointments:
• Kalyan Revella takes on the role of Counsellor (Economic) at the Embassy of India in Beijing.
• Senthil Pandian C was appointed as Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva.
• M Balaji has been appointed as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of India in Brussels.
• Parveen Kumar is now the Adviser to the Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
• Tanu Singh is appointed as the First Secretary at the Permanent Mission of India to the World Trade Organization (WTO)