NEWS 17-03-2024. News For 18th-Mar (Monday) Monthly news of Feb *NATIONAL* 1.India's first spy satellite, made by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), is set to be launched in a SpaceX rocket by April & will be used by the armed forces to get discreet information. 2. PM launched PM Surya Ghar Scheme which aims to providing 300 units of electricity every month to light up 1 crore households. 3. India has decided to extend its presence in Arabian sea by establishing naval bases in Agatti and Minicoy Islands, along with air bases, in order to secure the vital sea lands of communication. 4.India has announced the replacement of appx 80 military personnel operating aviation platforms in the Maldives with competent Indian technical personnel. 5. Uttarakhand became the first Indian state to implement the Uniform Civil Code, led by a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana P Desai. 6.India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, is set to honour former Prime Ministers PV Narasimha Rao and Chaudhary Charan Singh, alongside renowned agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan. 7. IIT Madras in collaboration with Munitions India Limited have pioneered the development of 155mm Smart Ammunition. 8. India conferred *Bharat Ratna to two politicians, L K Adwani & Karpoori Thakur (Posthmously)* 9. India is set to establish two multi-billion dollar semiconductor plants. The two projects include an $8 billion proposal submitted by Israel-based Tower Semiconductors and the other from Tata Group. 10. PM Narendra Modi inaugurated India's longest cable-stayed bridge, Sudarshan Setu, in Gujarat's Dwarka. *INTERNATIONAL* 1.PM Narendra Modi inaugurated First Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi, UAE. 2. India’s MEA has cut 54% UN funding for 2024-25, from INR 382.54 crore to INR 175 crore. It was an assertive move from India to get permanent seat at UN. 3. India became the third largest digitalized country in the world, behind the US and China. 4. India and Qatar have renewed a $78billion deal, that extends imports of LNG from Qatar, till 2048. India will save $6bn over the contract period. 5. Adani Group is constructing the world's largest single-location copper manufacturing plant in Mundra, Gujarat. 6. India has secured the port of Duqm Oman, enhancing maritime presence of Indian navy in both Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. 7. Iran has eliminated visa requirements for Indian tourists aiming to boost tourism & global engagement. 8. IMF has Boosted India's GDP Growth Forecast to 6.7% for Current Fiscal Year. 9. India and France have finalized a defense industrial roadmap which includes development and production of military projects and technology collaboration. 10. Turkey successfully conducted maiden test flight of its first fifth-generation aircraft, KAAN on 21st Feb. *SPORTS* 1. Indian women's badminton team clinched historic gold medal at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 which was held in Shah Alam, Malaysia. 2. Ashwin has become the second Indian bowler, after Anil Kumble, to take 500 Test wickets. 3. The Telangana Football Association (TFA) will host the FIFA World Cup qualifiers round between India and Kuwait, on 6th June, in Hyderabad. 4. Former Pakistani cricket captain Babar Azam broke T20 record by becoming the fastest player to reach 10,000 runs in Twenty20 cricket, showcasing his exceptional batting skills. DEFENCE 1. Indian Army is replacing its aging T-72 tank fleet with *Future Ready Combat Vehicles (FRCVs).* 1,770 units, will be produced indigenously in India. 2. 12th edition of Ex Milan was conducted in the port city of Visakhapatnam from 19th feb to 27th feb. In this exercise nearly 51 countries participated. 3. Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 of Indian AF was concluded on 17th feb at Pokhran range near Jaisalmer. The exercise showcased over 120 aircraft, including frontline fighter jets and attack helicopters. 4.India has sealed a $4B deal with US to procure 31 MQ-9B Armed Drone from US. Among these, 15 will go to Indian Navy & 8 each will be given to IAF & IA. 5. Embraer Defense & Mahindra have signed a MoU to jointly manufacture the C-390 aircraft for the IAF to replace its aging fleet of AN-32 planes. 6. The Indian Navy commissioned *INS Sandhayak*, it's largest survey vessel built in India by GRSE. 7. India is developing a laser weapon called DURGA-2, which uses focused beams of light to neutralize threats like drones, missiles, and even fighter jets. *ECONOMY* 1. India’s foreign exchange reserves has reached a one-month high of $622.47 billion as on Feb 2, 2024 < < Back