Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 16, 2024

Notes:
The Prime Minister inaugurated the first Oil Palm Processing Mill under Mission Palm Oil in Arunachal Pradesh. Launched in 2021, the National Mission for Edible Oils – Oil Palm (NMEO-OP) aims to boost oil palm cultivation and crude palm oil production. With a Rs. 11,040 crore outlay, the scheme targets a significant increase in oil palm area and productivity by 2025-26, focusing on the North East and Andaman-Nicobar Islands. Various stakeholders will implement NMEO-OP.

Notes:
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated India’s first indoor athletics and aquatic centres at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar, and laid the foundation stone for an indoor diving center. Costing Rs 120 crore, the stadium accommodates 120 athletes with coaching facilities, medical care, and a pantry. It features a 10,000 sq. meter track by Mondo SpA and hosts national and international events. It’s a training hub for the Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics High-Performance Centre, aimed at developing athletics nationwide.

Notes:
India’s Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) opened its first overseas liaison office in Dhaka, Bangladesh inaugurated by Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma. NRL Managing Director Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan and other officials attended. Verma highlighted India-Bangladesh relations’ growth, emphasizing bilateral trade and energy sector collaboration. He referenced the Friendship Pipeline Project, jointly inaugurated by Indian PM Narendra Modi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina, capable of transporting 1 MMTPA of high-speed diesel, with Bangladesh construction costs exceeding Rs 285 crore.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-member selection panel has appointed Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu as the new Election Commissioners in the Election Commission of India. However, there seems to be dissent from the Opposition member of the panel, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who has questioned the process of their appointment. The appointments have been made under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act 2023.

Notes:
India ascended to 134th place in the 2023/24 Global Human Development Index (HDI) by UNDP. Initiated in 1990, HDI assesses health, education, and standard of living. It highlights people’s well-being over mere economic metrics. Scores range from 0 to 1, with 1 indicating higher human development. Categories include Very High, High, Medium, and Low human development, emphasizing holistic progress beyond economic growth.