Today's Current Affairs 13th January 2024

INTERNATIONAL

Shanghai’s NDB Commits $500 Million Loan for Gujarat’s Infrastructure Development

• The Shanghai-based New Development Bank (NDB) inked an agreement during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, pledging a substantial $500 million loan to the Gujarat government.
• This financial infusion is earmarked for the Mukhayamantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

NATIONAL

Fresh Oil Discovery in Krishna-Godavari Basin by ONGC

• The discovery, led by the state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), is located near Kakinada’s coastline in the Bay of Bengal.

About ONGC:

Headquarters: Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

Founded: 14 August 1956

Key people: Arun Kumar Singh (Chairman& CEO)

PM Modi Inaugurates India’s Longest Sea Bridge – Atal Setu

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), colloquially known as Atal Setu, India’s longest sea bridge spanning 21.8 km.
• This monumental infrastructure, dedicated to the late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, was initiated with the laying of its foundation stone in December 2016.

SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

Joint Exercise ‘Sahyog Kaijin’ Between Indian and Japanese Coast Guards

• The Indian and Japanese Coast Guards have recently conducted a successful joint exercise named ‘Sahyog Kaijin’ off the coast of Chennai.
• This exercise is a part of the ongoing collaboration between the two countries under the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed in 2006.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Government Approves 1-Year Extension for RBI Deputy Governor Michael Patra

• GOI announced the extension of the tenure of Michael Debabrata Patra as the Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for an additional year.

 IMPORTANT DAYS

Indian Army to Observe 2024 as the Year of Technology Absorption

• The Indian Army has declared 2024 as the “Year of Technology Absorption.”

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Savita Kanswal Posthumously Honored With Tenzing Norgay Award

• President Draupadi Murmu posthumously conferred the prestigious Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award upon Savita Kanswal.
• The award, presented to her father Radheshyam Kanswal, is a testament to Savita’s exceptional achievements in the field of mountaineering.
• Savita Kanswal made history by becoming the first Indian woman mountaineer to conquer both Mount Everest (8848 m) and Mount Makalu (8485 m) within an astonishing span of 16 days.

NICMAR Hyderabad Achieves Platinum Certification under IGBC Green Campus Rating

• The National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR), located in Hyderabad, has recently been awarded the prestigious Platinum certification by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) under its Green Campus Rating program.

 RANKING

Hyderabad Ranks 9th Cleanest; Siddipet Tops In South India

• Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana, achieved a significant milestone by securing the ninth position in cleanliness among cities with a population exceeding one lakh in the Swachh Survekshan Awards 2023.
• Siddipet, a city in Telangana, proudly clinched the national award for being the cleanest city in south India within the 50,000-1 lakh population category.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

NPCI Launches UPI-PayNow Linkage for Cross-Border Remittances between India and Singapore

• The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has introduced the UPI-PayNow linkage, facilitating direct remittances between India and Singapore.
• This collaboration, a result of close coordination between the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).