7th MARCH 2024 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS

7th MARCH 2024 ENGLISH TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS PDF TNPSC SHOUTERS

Chief Minister M. K. Stalin inaugurated the thermal power plant in Tiruvallur district

• Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated the 800 MW Vadachennai Super Thermal Power Plant in Attipattu village of Tiruvallur district.
• The 3 units in the first phase of the thermal power plant are currently generating 210 MW each. The 2 units in Phase 2 are generating 600 MW each. A total of 1,830 MW of electricity is generated at the North Chennai Thermal Power Station.

Union Cabinet approves additional installment of gratuity and gratuity relief to Central Government employees, pensioners

• The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the provision of additional installment of dearness allowance to central government employees and dearness relief to pensioners from 1.1.2024 to offset the price hike. This is 4 percent higher than the existing 46 percent of basic pay/pension.
• The total cost to the government on account of both subsidy and subsidy relief would be Rs 12,868.72 crore per annum. This will benefit 49.18 lakh central government employees and 67.95 lakh pensioners. This pay hike has been given based on the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Union Cabinet approves continuation of Rs 300 subsidy to beneficiaries of Prime Minister's Ujjwala free cooking gas scheme

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the continuation of subsidy of Rs.300 per 12 cylinders of 14.2 kg per year (and pro rata per 5 kg cylinder) to the beneficiaries of Prime Minister's Ujjwala free cooking gas cylinder scheme in the financial year 2024-25. As on March 1, 2024, there are over 10.27 crore beneficiaries of the Prime Minister's free cooking gas cylinder scheme.
• This will take the total expenditure to Rs 12,000 crore in the financial year 2024-25. The grant will be directly credited to the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries.

Union Cabinet approves minimum support price for raw jute for 2024-25 season

• The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the minimum support price for raw jute for the season 2024-25.
• The minimum support price for raw jute has been fixed at Rs.5,335/- per quintal for the season 2024-25. It is Rs per quintal. 285 is higher. This would ensure a return of 64.8 percent of the all-India average cost of production.
• In the last 10 years, the minimum support price for raw jute has been increased from Rs 2,400/- per quintal in 2014-15 to Rs 5,335/- in 2024-25, registering a growth of 122 per cent. In the current 2023-24 season, 6.24 lakh bales of raw jute worth Rs 524.32 crore have been procured to benefit about 1.65 lakh farmers.

Cabinet approves Uttar  Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade for Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization Scheme, 2024 (UNNATI – 2024) for a period of 10 years from the date of notification along with 8 years for committed liabilities at a total cost of Rs.10,037 crore.
• The financial outlay of the proposed scheme is Rs.10,037 crore for the scheme period from the date of notification for 10 years. (Additional 8 years for committed liabilities). This will be a Central Sector Scheme. 
• The scheme is proposed to be divided into two parts. Part, A caters to the incentives to the eligible units (Rs. 9737 crores), and Part B, is for implementation and institutional arrangements for the scheme. (Rs. 300 Crore).
• The proposed scheme envisages approximately 2180 applications, and it is anticipated that direct employment opportunities of about 83,000 will be generated during the scheme period. A significant number of indirect employment is also expected to be generated.

Cabinet Approves Ambitious IndiaAI Mission to Strengthen the AI Innovation Ecosystem

• In furtherance to the vision of Making AI in India and Making AI Work for India, the Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the comprehensive national-level IndiaAI mission with a budget outlay of Rs.10,371.92 crore.
• The IndiaAI mission will establish a comprehensive ecosystem catalyzing AI innovation through strategic programs and partnerships across the public and private sectors. By democratizing computing access, improving data quality, developing indigenous AI capabilities, attracting top AI talent, enabling industry collaboration, providing startup risk capital, ensuring socially impactful AI projects and bolstering ethical AI, it will drive responsible, inclusive growth of India's AI ecosystem.
• The approved IndiaAI Mission will propel innovation and build domestic capacities to ensure the tech sovereignty of India. It will also create highly skilled employment opportunities to harness the demographic dividend of the country. 
• IndiaAI Mission will help India demonstrate to the world how this transformative technology can be used for social good and enhance its global competitiveness.

Cabinet approves introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal of the Ministry of Law & Justice for introduction of the Readjustment of Representation of Scheduled Tribes in Assembly Constituencies of the State of Goa Bill, 2024 in Parliament.
• In order to ensure that the Constitutional rights of the Scheduled Tribes in the State of Goa are safeguarded, it is imperative to enact a law to provide for enabling provisions empowering the Election Commission to make amendments in the Delimitation of Parliamentary and Assembly Constituencies Order, 2008 and readjust the seats in the Legislative Assembly of the State of Goa for the Scheduled Tribes of the State.

CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum MoU on Application of Fuel Production Technology

• An MoU was signed on March 5 between CSIR Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun and Uttarakhand Council of Science and Technology (UKOST). On this occasion, Dr. Harendra Singh Bisht, Director, Indian Petroleum Corporation, and Prof. Durgesh Pant, CEO, Ucost, signed MoUs and initiated a historic project to use Pine Needles technology in Sambhava.
• Under this agreement, CSIR - Indian Petroleum Corporation will implement two key technologies at grassroots level in the event. Pine Needles Zoom is one of the selected technologies. A comprehensive field study will be carried out on the fuels generated using this, energy savings and its environmental impact. 
• The fuel cell unit will be installed at the Energy Park in Sambhava as part of the Women Empowerment Initiative. The fuels produced will be used as fuel in households and local industries.