Today's Current Affairs 5th January 2024

INTERNATIONAL

8 former Indian Navy personnel in Qatar given 60 days to appeal against prison terms

• The Ministry of External Affairs has disclosed that the eight incarcerated former Indian Navy personnel in Qatar have been granted a 60-day window to file appeals against the diverse prison terms imposed by a Qatari court last week. This decision follows the commutation of their earlier death sentences.
• The Court of Appeal in Qatar on December 28 commuted the death sentence handed down to the Indians in October and sentenced them to prison for varying durations, weeks after their family members filed an appeal against the earlier order by another court.
• External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the legal team of the Indian nationals received a copy of the court order that he described as a "confidential document".
• "On December 28, the Court of Appeal had given a judgement. Thereafter, we issued a press release giving details (and) telling that the death penalty has been reduced. Now, we have the judgement order, which is a confidential document," he said.

 NATIONAL

2024 will witness the retirement of 68 Rajya Sabha members, a list that includes prominent figures such as Manmohan Singh and Jaya Bachchan.

• Anticipating a transformative year ahead, the political scenario in India is set for a notable transformation with the retirement of 68 Rajya Sabha members, including nine Union ministers. This development adds fervor to the competition for sought-after six-year terms in the Upper House of Parliament.
• In April, a total of 57 leaders, a prominent among them being former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several incumbent ministers, will complete their tenures.
• Uttar Pradesh will witness the highest number of vacancies, with 10 seats up for grabs, followed by Maharashtra and Bihar with six each.
• Other states in the fray include Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, and Chhattisgarh.

Emerging as a trailblazer, Punjab has become the inaugural state to comprehensively map all sites prone to accidents.

• Paving the way for safety measures, Punjab emerges as the pioneer in India by intricately mapping all 784 accident-prone areas through the innovative Mappls App, an advanced navigation system crafted by MapMyIndia.
• In a strategic move, the Punjab Police has teamed up with MapMyIndia to integrate real-time traffic updates and alerts into the Mappls App. This collaboration aims to provide citizens with crucial information about black and blind spots, ensuring a safer driving experience.
• This initiative aligns with the preparations for the launch of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s flagship project, the ‘Sadak Suraksha Force.’ The comprehensive mapping of accident black spots is a crucial component of this visionary project, aiming to create a robust system for ensuring road safety across the state.

 SPORTS

Rohit Sharma rates Cape Town win as 'one of India's best Test match victories'

• Bestowing high praise, India's captain Rohit Sharma has acclaimed the nation's historic Test triumph at Newlands in Cape Town, labeling it as "one of the most exceptional victories" in the annals of India's cricketing history.
• With their backs against the wall after experiencing a crushing defeat in the opening Test of the series at the SuperSport Park in Centurion, Rohit and his men scripted a praiseworthy comeback and turned the tables to defeat South Africa by seven wickets on a pacer-friendly surface in the New Year's Test at the Newlands.
• "It'll be one of our best Test match victories," Rohit told the reporters after India's triumph in the shortest Test ever played (in terms of balls bowled).
• "Having not won here in Cape Town [before], obviously this puts it right up there with all the victories that we've had. It's very hard to compare the Test matches that you play because every Test match has its own importance and own relevance. The Test match that we won at The Gabba as well. The last test match that was lost by Australia in Brisbane was in 1988, I think. Nearly after 23, 24 years (32 years), we won the Test match there. It kind of became like their fortress. They never lose a test match there," Rohit said.
• "And the way we won that Test match as well was quite important. From where we came, we were 1-nil down, we won in Melbourne and then we drew the Test match in Sydney and then won in Brisbane. So you can't really rank the Test matches, but this has to be right up there because we had not won here. That shows how important a venue this is for us to come here and perform. I give a lot of credit to our team to put up a performance like that and win the game," the India captain said.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Stepping into a pivotal role, Shashi Singh has been named the newly appointed President of AIRIA (All India Rubber Industries Association).

• Undergoing a noteworthy shift in leadership dynamics, the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA), the premier representative body for India's rubber industry, has recently declared a substantial change in its leadership.
• Shashi Singh has been elected as the new President, succeeding Ramesh Kejriwal. This transition marks a new era for AIRIA, with Singh set to advance the association’s mission and goals.
• Alongside Singh, Zafar Ahmed, the Managing Director of New India Rubber Works Pvt Ltd, has been elected as the senior vice-president for 2023-24. In addition, Indra Parekh takes on the role of vice president. This new leadership team is expected to bring a blend of experience, insight, and fresh perspectives to AIRIA.

IMPORTANT DAYS

Marking National Birds Day 2024, we rejoice in the splendor of avian beauty while emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts 

• Explore the world's most beautiful and unique birds, each possessing its own charm, on National Birds Day celebrated annually on January 5.
• The day aims to raise awareness about bird conservation and the critical need to protect their habitats, given the challenges they face from illegal pet trade, diseases, and habitat loss.
• Founded in 2002 by the Avian Welfare Coalition, National Bird Day recognizes birds as vital components of ecosystems, acting as living links to the past and indicators of environmental health.
• Many bird species are endangered or protected due to habitat loss and illegal pet trade, emphasizing the urgency of creating a sustainable relationship with these essential animals.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Garnering acclaim, Hero MotoCorp's facility secures the prestigious CII National Award for its exemplary water management practices

• Creating ripples in water conservation, Hero MotoCorp, the global leader in two-wheeler manufacturing, clinches the CII National Award for Excellence in Water Management and aims to achieve an ambitious target of becoming 500% water positive by 2025.
• Hero MotoCorp’s Gurugram facility emerged victorious in the ‘Within the Fence’ category of the CII award, highlighting its exceptional water management practices within its manufacturing operations. This recognition underscores the company’s commitment to reducing water consumption and wastage within its own premises.

Acknowledging stellar achievements in space science leadership, Prof. Adrian Cruise is honored with the 'Order of the British Empire' for his outstanding contributions.

• In the New Year Honours list of 2024, Professor Adrian Michael Cruise, a distinguished figure in space science research, is recognized for his exceptional contributions, notably for his leadership in the Gravitational Wave Research Group at the University of Birmingham.
• Professor Cruise, as Professor Emeritus at the University of Birmingham, led the Gravitational Wave Research Group to affirm the university’s leadership in space science. His groundbreaking 2015 detection of gravitational waves validated Einstein’s prediction, propelling the institution into the forefront of unraveling space-time mysteries.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Propelled by record Foreign Portfolio Investor (FPI) acquisitions, Indian equities surge to unprecedented heights in the month of December

• Setting a historic milestone, Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPI) recorded monumental monthly acquisitions of Indian equities, surging to 661.35 billion rupees ($8 billion) in December, as per data from the National Securities Depository.
• This surge catapulted India’s Nifty 50 and Sensex benchmarks to fresh record highs. The first half of December alone witnessed a record fortnightly purchase of shares worth 427.33 billion rupees, attributed to lower U.S. bond yields and expectations of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts.
• Faster-than-expected quarterly GDP growth prompted the Reserve Bank of India to revise upwards its fiscal 2024 growth forecast. State election results signaled policy continuity in 2024, adding to the positive sentiment.

Committing substantial resources, REC (Rural Electrification Corporation) invests Rs. 35,000 crore in multi-modal projects, collaborating with Rail Vikas Nigam for a comprehensive five-year initiative.

• In a strategic move, REC Limited, a distinguished Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise founded in 1969 under the Ministry of Power, has inked a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL).
• This collaboration aims to provide financial support of up to Rs. 35,000 Crores for a range of Infrastructure Projects over the next 5 years, showcasing the commitment of both entities to drive essential developments in the sector.
• The infrastructure projects set to benefit from this collaboration span various domains, including multi-modal logistics hubs, rail infrastructure, roads, ports, and metro projects.