Today's Current Affairs 8th February 2024

INTERNATIONAL 

By 2025, Microsoft aims to provide generative AI training to over 2 million individuals in India

• Satya Nadella, Microsoft's Chairman and CEO, declared the company's intention to train more than 2 million individuals in India in generative Artificial Intelligence skills by 2025.
• At an event organised by the company in Mumbai, Mr. Nadella talked about the cooperation between the United States and India on AI.

 NATIONAL

The Telangana government plans to set up a help desk for youth in the USA and abroad

• Responding to increasing safety concerns among Telangana citizens living overseas, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has declared the creation of a specialized assistance desk.
• This program aims to cater to the diverse requirements of students and young professionals from Telangana who are studying or working abroad. 

Uttarakhand takes the lead in implementing the Uniform Civil Code nationwide

• Uttarakhand has achieved a notable milestone in India's legislative history by becoming the first state to enact the Uniform Civil Code (UCC).
• The UCC aims to standardize laws governing personal matters like marriage, divorce, inheritance, and more across all citizens, irrespective of their religion.

 APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Naveen Tahilyani is appointed as the new CEO & MD of Tata Digital

• Tata Digital has revealed the selection of Naveen Tahilyani as the new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Group's e-commerce division.
• Tahilyani, who presently holds the position of CEO and MD at Tata AIA Life Insurance, is set to transition into his new role on February 19, taking over from Pratik Pal.

 MOUS AND AGREEMENT

ADIA from the UAE plans a $4-5 billion investment in India through GIFT City

• The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is creating a significant investment fund of $4-5 billion via India's Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), located in Prime Minister Modi's home state.
• The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is the largest sovereign wealth fund in the UAE The regulatory authority overseeing financial services at GIFT City has granted in-principle approval to ADIA for setting up the fund.

SPORTS

The 2026 FIFA World Cup final is set to take place in New Jersey

• The 2026 World Cup final will be played at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, U.S., on July 19.
• FIFA announced a Miami television studio, allocating the opener of the 39-day tournament spread across three North American nations to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca on June 11 and the finale to the home of the NFL's New York Jets and Giants.

BANKING AND ECONOMY

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has launched its latest insurance-cum-savings plan: the LIC Index Plus Policy

• Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has announced the release of its latest unit-linked life insurance product, LIC Index Plus.
• LIC’s Index fund is a unit linked, non-participating, individual life insurance plan.

About LIC:

Established: 1st September 1956

Headquarters: Mumbai, India

Chairperson: Siddharth Mohanty

 

The government allocates Rs.9,000 Crore to Exim Bank due to rising NPAs from foreign loans

• Loans from Exim Bank of India to certain countries, especially African nations, classified as "doubtful debt" in FY 2023-24.
• The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has provided Rs.9,013.72 crore to Exim Bank after invoking Government of India (GoI) guarantees on these loans.

About Ministry of External Affairs:

Cabinet Minister: Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Minister of State: V. Muraleedharan, Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Meenakshi Lekhi

About Exim Bank:

Established: 1982

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Managing Director: Harsha Bangari