Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 5, 2024

Notes:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has introduced new rules for Registered Unrecognized Political Parties (RUPPs) regarding the allocation of symbols. These parties are now required to furnish audited accounts of the last three financial years, along with expenditure statements of the last two elections and the signature of an authorized office-bearer, as part of their application for election symbols. This move aims to enhance transparency and accountability among political parties, especially those that are newly registered or have not yet achieved a significant vote share in elections to be recognized as state parties. The new regulations will be effective from January 11.

Notes:
The government appointed prominent motivational speaker and CSR icon Amitabh Shah, founder of NGO Yuva Unstoppable, as a brand ambassador for its Viksit Bharat Abhiyan program. The initiative, spearheaded by PM Modi, aims to tap India’s demographic dividend to drive national development. Shah’s youth-focused philanthropy aligns with the mission’s emphasis on upskilling youth and imbibing values for nation-building. His NGO has skilled over 6 million young beneficiaries so far. The appointment signals the administration’s strategy to involve civil society in achieving its vision for an empowered and future-ready India.

Notes:
IG Drones, an Indian drone technology company, has won a contract to survey the construction progress of India’s first Personal Rapid Transit system metro corridor in Uttarakhand using drones. Its UAVs equipped with high-resolution cameras and other sensors will conduct aerial mapping of the project considered India’s first “Neo Metro.” The drones’ data analytics capabilities will enable tracking the building progress in real-time. Companies like IG Drones are playing an increasing role in efficient monitoring of large infrastructure projects, reducing costs and delays.

Notes:
FMR refers to the Free Movement Regime operational on India’s border with Myanmar. It allows tribal communities living along both sides of the boundary to travel up to 16 km across the border without visas. However, amidst rising illegal immigration and security challenges tied to cross-border crime, India plans to discontinue the FMR scheme and mandate visas for Myanmarese nationals’ entry. Concerns around FMR facilitating entry of non-tribals abusing its lax regulations prompted this reassessment of the agreement after 75 years.

Notes:
The West Bengal government plans to develop a tea park spread over 10-12 acres along the banks of the Hooghly River near Kolkata. It aims to establish an export-oriented tea processing and packaging facility inspired by Dubai’s models that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee observed during her Middle East visit. The initiative seeks to boost Darjeeling tea exports by value-addition leveraging Kolkata port’s connectivity. The tea industry stakeholders have welcomed the proposal to enable large scale investment in upgrading technology for the terrace tea gardens.