Current Affairs - January 27, 2024 Current Affairs

An IIT Guwahati PhD scholar was honoured with the 'Best Product Design' award at Vishwakarma Awards 2023 for creating R-SAM-PRO, an IoT-enabled water quality monitoring device, notable for its affordability and integration of IoT technology.

The Cabinet approved the setting up of two coal gasification plants in West Bengal and Odisha. These projects, conducted in collaboration with Coal India Limited (CIL), GAIL, and BHEL, aim to produce 100 metric tons by 2028-29, focusing on Natural Gas in West Bengal and Coal-to-Ammonium Nitrate in Odisha.

OnePlus India partnered with Reliance Jio to create a 5G Innovation Lab, focusing on testing and developing cutting-edge technologies for advancing connectivity and enhancing user experiences.

The Sri Lankan Parliament approved the 'Online Safety Bill,' securing 108 votes in favour and 62 against after a two-day debate. The bill leads to the establishment of the Online Safety Commission with the authority to make punitive rulings on offences.

National Geographic Day is celebrated annually on January 27, marking the founding of the National Geographic Society in 1888 and honouring its contributions to geography, natural science, and exploration.

Turkey's parliament supported Sweden's NATO membership, signalling a significant development in Sweden's attempt to join the alliance.

Dr Himanshu Pathak inaugurated the 3-day Kisan Mela in Anand, Gujarat, organized by ICAR-DMAPR, focusing on promoting medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) cultivation. The event witnessed the participation of more than 2000 farmers, including a significant number of women farmers, and the signing of two MoUs with M/s Vasu Research Centre and Healthcare, Vadodara.

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has commenced Steadfast Defender 2024, its most extensive military exercise since the Cold War, involving over 90,000 troops, more than 50 ships, and various aircraft, with a focus on responding to potential aggression, particularly from Russia.

Vivek Bharadwaj inaugurated a two-day National Consultative Workshop on Devolution to Panchayats in Goa. The workshop, organized by the Indian Institute of Public Administration in collaboration with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, focuses on the potential of Panchayats in rural self-governance for building the country.

The Cabinet approved the protocol for JETCO, strengthening economic relations between India and the Dominica Republic. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Department of Commerce, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. Currently, there is no bilateral institutional mechanism between India and the Dominican Republic on trade and commerce.