DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

By admin: April 10, 2024

Manoj Panda Appointed as Full-Time Member of India's 16th Finance Commission

Tags: Person in news

Manoj Panda, former Director of the Institute of Economic Growth (IEG), appointed as a full-time member of the 16th Finance Commission (FC) by the Government of India (GoI).

An Overview of the News

• His term begins from the date he assumes office until the submission of the Report or 31st October 2025.

• Panda replaces Niranjan Rajadhyaksha, Executive Director at Artha Global, who was previously appointed as a full-time member of the 16th FC in January 2024.

Background of Manoj Panda:

• Economist and Senior Economist at the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER) from 1982 to 1992.

• Professor and Associate Professor at the Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai, Maharashtra from 1992 to 2008.

• Served as the Director of Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad, Telangana.

• Director of the IEG, New Delhi, Delhi from 2012 to 2019.

Constitution of the 16th Finance Commission:

• Constituted by the GoI in December 2023 with Arvind Panagariya, former Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog, as its Chairman.

• In January 2024, three full-time members and one part-time member were appointed.

Current Members of the 16th FC:

• Full-time members:

  • Ajay Narayan Jha, former member of the 15th Finance Commission and former Secretary, Expenditure.

  • Annie George Mathew, former Special Secretary, Expenditure.

  • Manoj Panda, newly appointed full-time member.

• Part-time member:

  • Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Advisor, State Bank of India.

Secretary of the 16th FC:

• Ritvik Ranjanam Pandey, a 1998-batch IAS officer, holds the position of Secretary.

Chandrayaan-3 Mission Team Wins 2024 John L "Jack" Swigert Jr. Award

Tags: Awards

The Chandrayaan-3 mission team of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was awarded the 2024 John L "Jack" Swigert Jr. award for Space Exploration.

An Overview of the News

• The award was received by i.DC Manjunath, Consul General of India (CGI) in Houston, United States of America (U.S.A.), on behalf of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 team.

• The award ceremony took place on 8th April, 2024, during the Opening Ceremony of the annual Space Symposium organized by Space Foundations in Colorado, U.S.A.

• Chandrayaan-3 mission was announced as the recipient of the 2024 John L "Jack" Swigert Jr. award for space exploration by Space Foundation in January 2024.

Other Winners:

• Included teams from NASA, such as OSIRIS-REx, Mars Ingenuity Helicopter, Insight-Mars Cube One, and Dawn and Cassini missions.

About Chandrayaan-3 Mission:

• Launched on 14th July, 2023, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh (A.P.).

• The lander module successfully touched down on the moon on 23rd August, 2023.

• Consists of a lunar lander named "Vikram" and a lunar rover named "Pragyan."

About John L "Jack" Swigert Jr. Award for Space Exploration:

• Established in 2004 in honor of former NASA astronaut John L. "Jack" Swigert Jr. by Space Foundation.

• Recognizes significant achievements in space exploration.

• Presented annually at the Space Symposium by the Space Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1983.

About ISRO:

Established in 1969

President - Sridhar Panikkar Somnath

Headquarters - Bengaluru, Karnataka

Mamta G. Sagar received WOW World Literary Award

Tags: Awards

Mamta G. Sagar was awarded the WOW World Literary Award by the World Organization of Writers (WOW) for her literary contribution.

An Overview of the News

• The ceremony was held during the VII World Literary Festival “WOW-LIFFT-2024” in Abuja, Nigeria from April 4-6, 2024.

• The award consists of a gold medal, a cash prize and a publishing contract.

Mamta G. Sagar's Background:

• Currently a facilitator at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design, and Technology in Bengaluru, Karnataka.

• Previously taught at Hyderabad University and Bangalore University before joining Srishti Manipal in 2016.

• Her poems and research have garnered international recognition and have been translated into various Indian and foreign languages.

Awards and Honors Received:

• Recognized with accolades such as the Sanchi Honnamma Kavya Prashasti (2019), Bhashabharathi Translation Award (2019), and the Charles Wallace India Trust fellowship (2015) at the British Centre for Literary Translation, University of East Anglia, UK.

Notable Works by Mamta G. Sagar:

• Authored four poetry collections, including "Footsteps of the Wild Peacock" (1992) and "Hide & Seek" (2014).

• Notable works also include the musical play for children "Chukki Chukki Chandakki" (1999) and the translation of the Kannada play "Mayye Bhaara Manave Bhaara" as "The Swing of Desire" (2004).

About WOW World Literary Prize:

• Established by the WOW as the successor to the "Golden LIffT" literary prize.

• Aims to encourage authors who make significant contributions to world literature.

• Co-founded by the Eurasian Peoples' Assembly, Pan-African Association of Writers (PAWA), and LIFFT Foundation for the Promotion of Cultural Projects of the Eurasian Peoples.

• Accepts works in Russian, English, Spanish, and Arabic, along with their translations.

• Presented in two categories: Poetry and Prose.

India to rank third in Global Unicorn Index 2024

Tags: INDEX

Hurun Research Institute publishes the "Global Unicorn Index", which ranks countries based on the number of unicorn companies.

An Overview of the News

• In the 2024 edition, India stands third with 67 unicorns, 1 less than last year.

• Notably, Indian giants Byju's and PharmEasy are no longer included in the index.

• India's unicorn roster includes Swiggy, Dream11 and Razorpay, valued at US$8 billion, US$8 billion and US$7.5 billion, respectively.

Top 5 Nations with Highest Unicorn Number:

• The United States maintains its top position with 703 unicorns, accounting for 48% of the global total.

• China continues to hold the second position in the index with 340 unicorns.

• India is at third position with 67 unicorns.

• The United Kingdom (U.K.) is in fourth place with 53 unicorns.

• Germany is among the top five countries with 36 unicorns.

Global Unicorn Index:

• The index includes companies established since the 2000s, valued at more than US$1 billion, and not yet publicly listed.

• The data compared to last year spans from January 2023 to January 2024.

• Hurun Research Institute has tracked unicorn companies since 2017.