Daily Current Affairs- 31 December 2023

Today's Current Affairs 31st December 2023

NATIONAL

PM Modi Inaugurated 2 New Amrit Bharat, 6 Vande Bharat Trains in Ayodhya

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked a significant event on Saturday by flagging off two Amrit Bharat and six Vande Bharat Express trains from the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station.

PM Modi Unveils Airport, Station Ahead Of Ram Temple Consecration in Ayodhya

• One of the noteworthy inaugurations was that of Maharishi Valmiki International Airport Ayodhya Dham.
• A key highlight of the visit was the inauguration of the redeveloped Ayodhya Dham Railway Station. Accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

 SCIENCE & TEHNOLOGY

NASA to Study Asteriod ‘Apophis’, Approaching Earth on April 13, 2029

• This asteroid, named after the Egyptian god of Chaos, is anticipated to pass within a remarkably close distance of 32,000 kilometers from Earth’s surface on April 13, 2029.
• Apophis is classified as an “S-type” asteroid, composed of silicate and nickel-iron materials.

About National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA):

Founded: 29 July 1958, United States

Founder: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States

ISRO to launch 50 Geo-Intelligence satellites in next 5 years

• India’s space agency is planning to develop a new fleet of 50 surveillance satellites in five years that are based on artificial intelligence technology that can “interact with each other in space to gather geointelligence” and will be able to beef up the country’s border surveillance from the sky manifold, Isro chairman S Somanath has said.

About ISRO:

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Founder: Vikram Sarabhai

Founded: 15 August 1969

 OBITURY

Former EU Commission President Jacques Delors dies at 98

• Jacques Delors, a former head of the EU Commission and key figure in the creation of the euro currency, has died.

 APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

Rashmi Govil tapped as next director HR of Indian oil

• Rashmi Govil, a senior HR executive at Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), is set to be next Director (Human Resources) of the state-owned firm.
• Govil will replace Ranjan Kumar Mohapatra, who was in May denied an 8-month extension of service till his superannuation age.

About Indian Oil Corporation:

Headquarters: New Delhi

Founded: 30 June 1959

Chairman:  Shrikant Madhav Vaidya 

Vivek srivastava assumed charge as DG of fire service & civil defence

• Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Vivek Srivastava (IPS) as Director General of Fire Service, Civil Defence & Home Guards under the Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday.

 AWARDS & RECOGNITION

P Indira Devi ICAR emeritus professor got ISAE fellowship

• Dr P. Indira Devi, ICAR Emeritus Professor at Kerala Agricultural University, is conferred with title of ISAE Fellow 2023, by the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics during its 83rd Annual Conference held at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology recently.
• The title is in recognition of the outstanding achievements in the field of agricultural economics and rural development.
• It is awarded by a distinguished panel of agricultural economists.
• Indian Society of Agricultural Economics is one of the oldest professional societies in India established in 1939.

 BANKING AND ECONOMY

CBDT issued guidelines under section 194-0 of the income tax act

• Section 194-O of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (‘the Act’) provides that an e-commerce operator shall deduct income-tax at the rate of one per cent of the gross amount of sale of goods or provision of service, or both, facilitated through its digital or electronic facility or platform.

NPCI introduced ASBA like facility for secondary market

• National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has announced the launch of an ASBA-like facility in the secondary market.
• ASBA-like facility of 'Trading supported by blocked amount in secondary market' through block mechanism was approved by the market regulator Sebi, based on the Reserve Bank of India.

About NPCI:

Headquarters: Mumbai

Founded: 2008

Founders: Reserve Bank of India, Indian Banks' Association

About Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI):

Founded: 12 April 1988

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra

Founder: Government of India

Agency executive: Madhabi Puri Buch, Chairperson