Daily Current Affairs January 31

Dear Champions, as you all know that a lot of competitive exams have been notified consequently. Candidates have to prepare themselves according to the level of competition and expectation of the Recruitment board. Regarding that one of the most important topic is Daily Current Affairs January 31. Current Affairs in the form of contemporary events of national & international play a crucial role in almost every competitive exams like Banking, Insurance, SSC, UPSC, TNPSC, Railway etc.

Current affairs are the most dynamic yet scoring among all sections and need to be prepared from the right source. Here, we cafunsta team, providing  Daily GK Updates, Current Affairs Questions, and Monthly  current affairs pdf.

TO PURCHASE OUR BANKING AWARENESS (2021 Edition) – CLICK HERE

January 31 | Daily Current Affairs 2024

Important Days – Daily Current Affairs January 31

1. When is International Zebra Day observed?
A) January 15th
B) January 20th
C) January 25th
D) January 30th
E) January 31st
Answer: E) January 31st

• International Zebra Day is observed every year on January 31.
• It is thought that a group of conservation organisations, including the Conservation Biology Institute and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, created International Zebra Day.
• The aim of International Zebra Day is to raise public awareness of the zebra’s living conditions and strategies to prevent further population decline.
• There are currently three different species of zebra living in the wild: Grevy’s zebra, plains zebra and mountain zebra.
• The Grevy’s zebra is critically endangered according to the Red List of Threatened Species.
• The African Wildlife Foundation estimates that their numbers have declined by around 54% in the last three decades.

---

Sports – Daily Current Affairs January 31

2. Who won India’s first gold medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup 2024 in Cairo?
A) Arjun Babuta and Sonam Uttam Maskar
B) Rhythm Sangwan and Ujjwal Malik
C) Elmira Karapetyan and Benik Khlghatyan
D) Seonaid McIntosh and Dean Bale
E) None of the above
Answer: B) Rhythm Sangwan and Ujjwal Malik

• The Indian pair of Rhythm Sangwan and Ujjwal Malik won India’s first gold medal at the ISSF Shooting World Cup 2024 in Cairo.
• They defeated the Armenian pair of Elmira Karapetyan and Benik Khlghatyan 17-7 in the 10m air pistol mixed team event.
• Earlier, Arjun Babuta and Sonam Uttam Maskar won silver in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event.
• They lost 16-14 to Great Britain’s Seonaid McIntosh and Dean Bale in the final.

---

3. Who clinched the air rifle gold in the World Cup in Cairo, Egypt?
A) Divyansh Singh Panwar
B) Rhythm Sangwan
C) Ujjwal Malik
D) Arjun Babuta
E) Sonam Uttam Maskar
Answer: A) Divyansh Singh Panwar

• Divyansh Singh Panwar shot a world record 253.7 in the final to clinch the air rifle gold in the World Cup in Cairo, Egypt.
• It was the fourth World Cup gold for the 21-year-old Divyansh following the ones he had won in Munich, Beijing and Delhi since 2019.

---

Banking and Finance – Daily Current Affairs January 31

3. What is Jeevan Dhara II?
A) A health insurance plan
B) A term life insurance plan
C) An annuity plan
D) A unit-linked insurance plan
E) A car insurance plan
Answer: C) An annuity plan

• The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) launched Jeevan Dhara II, a novel annuity plan. This non-linked, non-participating, individual savings, deferred annuity scheme is designed by LIC to ensure a secure and guaranteed financial future for individuals.
• The annuitant’s, primary annuitant’s and secondary annuitant’s minimum entry age is 20 years (last birthday), while the maximum entry age is 80, 70, and 65 years minus the deferment period, depending on the selected annuity option.
• Policyholders have the freedom to determine the deferment period, ranging from 5 to 15 years for regular premiums and 1 to 15 years for single premiums.
• Furthermore, policyholders can choose the mode of annuity payments, with options including yearly, half-yearly, quarterly, and monthly frequencies.

---

4. What was the gross GST revenue collected in January 2024?
A) Rs 1,50,000 crore
B) Rs 1,60,000 crore
C) Rs 1,70,000 crore
D) Rs 1,72,129 crore
E) Rs 1,80,000 crore
Answer: D) Rs 1,72,129 crore

• The gross GST revenue collected in the month of January, 2024 is Rs 1,72,129 crore, which shows a 10.4% Year-o-Year (Y-oY) growth over the revenue of Rs 155,922 crore collected in January 2023.
• Notably, this is the second highest monthly collection ever and marks the third month in this financial year with collection of Rs 1.70 lakh crore or more.
• The government has settled Rs 43,552 crore to CGST and Rs 37,257 crore to SGST from the IGST collection.
• During the April 2023-January 2024 period, cumulative gross GST collection witnessed 11.6% y-o-y growth (till 05:00 PM of 31.01.2024), reaching Rs 16.69 lakh crore, as against Rs 14.96 lakh crore collected in the same period of the previous year (April 2022-Jannuary 2023).

---

 

Appointments – Daily Current Affairs January 31

5. Who is appointed as a part-time member of the 16th Finance Commission?
A) Ajay Narayan Jha
B) Annie George Mathew
C) Niranjan Rajadhyaksha
D) Soumya Kanti Ghosh
E) None of the above
Answer: D) Soumya Kanti Ghosh

• President Droupadi Murmu has appointed three full-time members and a part-time member to the 16th Finance Commission.
• The three full-time Members are Ajay Narayan Jha, former Member of the 15th Finance Commission and former Secretary, Department of Expenditure; Annie George Mathew; former Special Secretary, Department of Expenditure; and Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Executive Director, Artha Global.
• Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India, will be a part-time member.
• The 16th Finance Commission would have to make its report available by October 31, 2025 covering a period of five years from April 1, 2026.

Note:

• Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey was appointed Secretary to the 16th Finance Commission on December 31.
• Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of 16th Finance Commission, had served as the first Vice-Chairman of the Government think-tank NITI Aayog between January 2015 and August 2017.

Terms of Reference:

• The 16th Finance Commission will make recommendations on the distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes that are to be divided between them.
• It will also suggest the principles that should govern grants-in-aid of the revenues of the states out of the Consolidated Fund of India, and the sums to be paid to the States by way of grants-in-aid of their revenues under Article 275 of the Constitution for purposes other than those specified in the provisos to clause (1) of that article.
• The terms of reference include measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of its Panchayats and Municipalities, on the basis of recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State.
• The Commission may review the present arrangements on financing disaster management initiatives with reference to the funds constituted under the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and make appropriate recommendations thereon.

---

Awards – Daily Current Affairs January 31

6. Who was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – 2023’ Award?
A) Indra Nooyi
B) Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw
C) Bina Modi
D) Nita Ambani
E) Chanda Kochhar
Answer: C) Bina Modi

• Dr. Bina Modi, Chairperson of Modi Enterprises, was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Business Woman of the Year – 2023’ Award.
• The award, presented to her at a prestigious conference by Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (IACC) on ‘Strengthening Indo-US Relationship in Amritkal-Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, recognizes her remarkable contributions to the industry that place her among the distinguished few women chairpersons of Fortune500 and ET500 India companies.
• Dr. Bina Modi, the Chairperson of Modi Enterprises – KK Modi Group, also heads the Group’s FMCG giant Godfrey Phillips India and one of India’s agro-chemical leaders, Indofil, as the Chairperson and Managing Director.

---

 

International Affairs – Daily Current Affairs January 31

7. What is India’s score on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2023?
A) 30
B) 39
C) 50
D) 60
E) 70
Answer: B) 39

• India, sharing space with the Maldives, Kazakhstan, and Lesotho, secured 93rd position out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the year 2023, according to Transparency International, a global civil society annual index.
• In 2022, India held the 85th position, sharing it with five other countries, including the Maldives.
• Despite a decline in rank, attributed to global movements, India’s score dropped only by one point from the previous year, settling at 39 on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).
• Denmark topped the CPI-2023 with a score of 90, maintaining its position for the sixth consecutive year.
• Finland and New Zealand secured the second and third ranks with scores of 87 and 85, respectively.
• Somalia occupied the last position, with other countries at the bottom, including Venezuela, Syria, South Sudan, and Yemen, all affected by prolonged crises, primarily armed conflicts.
• Notable scores in the Asia-Pacific region include New Zealand at rank three with a score of 85, while Singapore and Australia secured ranks five and fourteen with scores of 83 and 75, respectively.
• The results of CPI-2023 indicated minimal progress in addressing public sector corruption globally, as the average global score remains unchanged at 43 for the twelfth consecutive year, with over two-thirds of countries scoring below 50.
• In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, the average CPI score remained stagnant at 45 for five consecutive years.

Global Corruption Index by Transparency International:

• India’s Rank – 93rd from 85th rank in 2022 out of 180 countries with a score of 39
• Pakistan – 133 rd rank – Score of 29
• China – 76th Rank – Score of 42

---

National Affairs – Daily Current Affairs January 31

8. Which Union Territory is making its debut as host in the Khelo India Winter Games this year?
A) Delhi
B) Ladakh
C) Chandigarh
D) Jammu & Kashmir
E) Puducherry
Answer: B) Ladakh

• The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, and Lt Governor Ladakh, B D Mishra (Retd), unveiled the Logo and Mascot for the Khelo India Winter Games 2024.
• The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is the fourth edition of the annual event in the Khelo India calendar.
• The Union Territory of Ladakh is making its debut as host this year alongside the UT of Jammu & Kashmir, which has organised the Games since 2020.
• The Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is scheduled to be held from February 2-6 in Gulmarg and Leh areas of the Union territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The second part is scheduled in Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir from February 21-25.
• While Ladakh will be conducting ice hockey and speed skating, Jammu and Kashmir will conduct ski mountaineering, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing and gondola
• The mascot of the Khelo India Winter Games 2024 is the ‘Sheen-e She’ or Shan– the snow leopard that is native to the Ladakh region.
• The logo of the Games with the Indian tricolour reflects the uniqueness of the picturesque land.
• The logo is accompanied by a ‘dharmachakra’ (turning wheel of dharma) on a hilltop in Chanspa in Leh, the venue of the Games.

---

9. What is the revised import duty on smartphone components and spare parts, as per the recent government announcement?
A) 5%
B) 8%
C) 10%
D) 12%
E) 15%
Answer: C) 10%

• The government reduced import duties on smartphone components and spare parts to 10 per cent from 15 per cent earlier.
• As part of the revision, tariffs on components such as battery covers, antennas, sealing gaskets, sim sockets, and others, included under the mechanics category, have been reduced.
• Similarly, import duties on die-cut components like LCD foam, conductive cloth, and sticker-battery slots, among others, have been slashed to 10 per cent.
• The reduction in import duties is seen as an attempt to boost manufacturing in the smartphone segments.
• This move will allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to reduce costs, which will, in turn, be passed on to end consumers.
• The move can help to drop smartphone prices by around 3 per cent, empowering consumers and making the devices more affordable, especially in the entry and budget segments.

Import Duty:

• Import duty is also known as customs duty, tariff, import tax or import tariff.
• Import duty is levied when imported goods first enter the country.
• Import duty (or customs duty) is a tax collected by customs authorities on all goods sold across borders. The aim of import duties is to raise income for local governments – but also to increase the end price of the goods for consumers, thus encouraging them to buy from the domestic market, which is not subject to this tax.
• Common examples of import duties are trade tariffs and excise duties

---

10. Who signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government for developing green hydrogen and derivatives projects?
A) Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL)
B) NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL)
C) Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
D) Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd (TPREL)
E) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)
Answer: B) NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL)

• NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government to develop green hydrogen and derivatives projects, including green ammonia and green methanol, with a capacity of upto 1 million tons per annum.
• The MoU, signed on January 29 also includes the development of 2 GW pumped storage projects and up to 5 GW of renewable energy projects in the state.
• This initiative, part of Maharashtra’s green investment plan for the next five years, represents a potential investment of approximately Rs 80,000 crore.

---

11. What was the reason cited by the RBI for imposing restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank?
A) Financial insolvency
B) Fraudulent activities
C) Persistent non-compliances and material supervisory concerns
D) Technological failures
E) Cybersecurity breaches
Answer: C) Persistent non-compliances and material supervisory concerns

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed major business restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank including accepting fresh deposits and doing credit transactions after February 29.
• On March 11, the RBI barred Paytm Payments Bank from onboarding new customers.
• A Comprehensive System Audit report and subsequent compliance validation report of the external auditors revealed persistent non-compliances and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank, warranting further supervisory action.

---

12. With which company did the government of Karnataka sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a laptop manufacturing plant?
A) HP (Hewlett-Packard)
B) Dell Technologies
C) Wipro Limited
D) Lenovo Group Limited
E) Wistron (ICT Service Management Solutions)
Answer: E) Wistron (ICT Service Management Solutions)

• The government of Karnataka and Wistron (ICT Service Management Solutions) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to set up a laptop manufacturing plant.
• Under the MoU, the Taiwan-based company would invest Rs 1,500 crore which is likely to create around 3,000 employment opportunities.
• The unit aligned to Industry 4.0 standards with a fully automated facility would make laptops for all brands and over 50 per cent of laptops made from here would be exported.
• Further, the plant would produce IoT components and EV-related parts in the plant.

---

13. NRL, with which NTPC has signed the MoU, is a subsidiary of which company?
A) Oil India Limited (OIL)
B) Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
C) Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)
D) Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL)
E) GAIL (India) Limited
Answer: A) Oil India Limited (OIL)

• NTPC Limited, India’s largest integrated power utility, has signed a non-binding MoU with Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL), for partnership opportunities in the proposed bamboo-based Bio-Refinery at NTPC Bongaigaon and other green projects.
• NRL is a subsidiary of Oil India Limited, which is engaged in the business of refining and marketing of petroleum products.
• Through this MoU, the two Central Public Sector Enterprises intend to enhance their footprint in green chemicals and foray into sustainable solutions to advance the efforts towards achieving the nation’s Net-Zero targets and be partners in the development of North Eastern Region.
• The MoU was signed in the presence of CMD NTPC, Shri Gurdeep Singh; CMD OIL & Chairman NRL Dr Ranjit Rath; and MD NRL, Shri Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan.

Note:

• NTPC is committed to achieve 60 GW of Renewable Energy capacity by 2032 and be a major player in Green Hydrogen and Energy Storage domain.

---

14. Who co-chaired the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting with Secretary General, Ministry of Defence, Oman in Muscat?
A) Shri Giridhar Aramane
B) Dr. Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi
C) Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik
D) Shri Narendra Modi
E) None of the above
Answer: A) Shri Giridhar Aramane

• Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane co-chaired the 12th Joint Military Cooperation Committee (JMCC) meeting with Secretary General, Ministry of Defence, Oman Dr. Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi in Muscat.
• During the meeting, both sides reviewed and appreciated the robust defence cooperation between India and Oman.
• The JMCC meeting delved into many new areas of cooperation in the fields of training, Joint exercise, Information sharing, Oceanography, Ship Building & MRO, that would build mutual trust and interoperability between militaries of both nations.
• They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of shared interest.
• Both sides discussed effective and practical initiatives to further boost bilateral Defence engagements with focus on defence industries collaboration.
• Towards implementing India - Oman Joint Vision Document entitled ‘A Partnership for the Future’, adopted during the visit of Head of State of the Sultanate of Oman, Sultan Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik in Dec 2023, the Defence Secretary and Secretary General signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) pertaining to procurement of Defence Material and Equipment which would provide a framework for a new area of defence collaboration.

Note:

• The Defence Secretary visited Oman from 30-31 Jan 2024 on the invitation of Secretary General, Ministry of Defence, Sultanate of Oman. Dr. Mohammed Bin Naseer Bin Ali Al Zaabi.
• Oman is one of India’s closest defence partners in Gulf region and defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between India and Oman.
• The two countries are committed to work under the vision of strategic partnership

---

15. With whom did NHAI sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide site-specific geotechnical consultancy services and assist in vetting Detailed Project Reports (DPR)?
A) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
B) Geological Survey of India (GSI)
C) National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
D) National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
E) Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
Answer: B) Geological Survey of India (GSI)

• NHAI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Geological Survey of India (GSI) to provide services to NHAI for site specific geotechnical consultancy and assist in vetting of Detailed Project Reports (DPR) from geotechnical point of view.
• The MoU was signed in presence of NHAI Chairman Shri Santosh Kumar Yadav and Dr. Saibal Ghosh, Deputy Director General, Geological Survey of India.
• As per the agreement, Geological Survey of India will provide site specific geotechnical consultancy services related to preparation of geological map of the area providing detailed geological features, preparation of slope stability study of the road and providing necessary recommendations, identification of geologically weak zones at various sites/stretches of National Highways, suggest site specific remedial measures, 3D geological logging of tunnels in the project and suggest necessary & relevant stabilization measures.

---

16. What is the primary objective of the 'Sadak Surakhya Force' (SSF) set up by the Punjab State government?
A) To provide emergency medical assistance on highways
B) To reduce road fatalities and improve road safety
C) To enforce traffic rules and regulations
D) To monitor vehicle emissions
E) To promote tourism along highways
Answer: B) To reduce road fatalities and improve road safety

• In Punjab, the State government has set up the ‘Sadak Surakhya Force’ (SSF), the first of its kind in the country, to reduce road fatalities.
• The State Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann flagged off 144 hi-tech vehicles from Jalandhar.
• Anyone in the State can get help by dialing number 112, and the vehicle will reach the spot within ten minutes of receiving the call.
• A Report says that Indian Hockey team's former captain and AIG traffic Gaganjit Singh will lead this Sadak Surakhya Force.
• With more than 1,200 police jawans, 144 hi-tech vehicles have been flagged off and about 90 female drivers will also handle the steering of vehicles.
• The vehicles will cover 5,500 km of State and national highways, each covering a distance of nearly 30 kilometres.
• The vehicles are fitted with specialised equipment to check for drunken driving and overspeeding.

---

---

Over All Review

DOWNLOAD TODAY'S CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF - CLICK HERE

You Must Also Read Daily Current Affairs January 30