1.           Pongal 2024 Festival Ends:

The four-day Pongal harvest festival celebrated by Tamils worldwide concluded on January 18, 2024.

2.           Startup Ranking 2022 Highlights:

Gujarat, Kerala, and Karnataka excelled in the Startup Ranking 2022. The National Startup Awards 2023 were also announced.

3.           Group Insurance Scheme for CPLs:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a group insurance scheme for CPLs working with BRO.

4.           ICAI Award for REC Limited:

REC Limited, a leading NBFC, received the ICAI Award for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 2022-2023.

5.           Regional Turmoil in West Asia:

West Asia needs a security balance with the Palestine issue at its center.

6.           Other Current Affairs (January 18, 2024):

·       Anganwadi Workers' Strike in Andhra Pradesh

·       Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2023

·       Impact of PTSD on Brain Structure: Cerebellum Volume Reduction

·       Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

·       Light-Emitting Diodes

·       Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival

7.           Windfall Tax Reduction:

The Ministry of Finance reduced the windfall tax from Rs 2,300 to Rs 1,700 per tonne.

8.           Electric Car Market Share Objective:

The current market share of electric cars is 1.3%, with plans to increase it significantly.

9.           SAED in Windfall Tax Context:

SAED stands for Special Additional Excise Duty in the context of the windfall tax.

10.       ISRO Chairman Inaugurates Pixxel’s MegaPixxel Facility:

ISRO Chairman S Somanath inaugurated Pixxel’s MegaPixxel facility in Bengaluru on January 15.

11.       LIC Housing Finance Overview:

LIC Housing Finance Ltd., incorporated in 1989, went public in 1994, with stocks listed on NSE and BSE.

12.       FCRA Registration Cancellation:

The Ministry of Home Affairs canceled CPR’s FCRA registration, citing alleged violations.

13.       Edelman Trust Barometer 2024:

India holds the top position in trust in both businesses and NGOs, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2024.

14.       Media Trust Survey:

The survey indicates that China leads in media trust globally.

15.       Ind-Ra's Revised GDP Growth Estimate:

Ind-Ra revised India’s GDP growth estimate for FY’24 from 6.2% to 6.7%.

16.       RBI's Draft Framework for SROs:

The RBI released a draft framework for the recognition of SROs in the FinTech sector.

17.       C4IR Collaboration:

The World Economic Forum and the Telangana government collaborate to establish the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in Hyderabad.

18.       UPI-enabled ‘Samman RuPay Credit Card’:

In partnership with NPCI, IndusInd Bank introduces the UPI-enabled ‘Samman RuPay Credit Card’ for government sector employees.

19.       Karnataka Bank and Clix Capital Digital Collaboration:

In compliance with RBI guidelines, Karnataka Bank and Clix Capital unite digitally on the Yubi Co.lend Platform, focusing on lending to India’s crucial MSME sector.

20.       Dr. Manmohan Singh's Role in Economic Reforms:

Dr. Manmohan Singh played a pivotal role in implementing economic reforms as the Finance Minister during a specific period.