Daily GK Update - 16th February 2024 Current Affairs

                      Current Affairs

                                                National Affairs

Supreme Court of India has ended the Electoral Bond Scheme.

• A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud has ended the electoral bond scheme.
• The Electoral Bond Scheme provided anonymity to the Donors of the political parties.
• According to the Supreme Court, the electoral bond scheme violates voters’ right to information and political funding under Article 19 (1) (a) of the constitution.
• The Electoral Bond Scheme was managed by the State Bank of India which collected all the donations on behalf of all political parties.

Indian Coast Guard Ship Varah has made a port call at Mozambique.

• Indian Coast Guard Ship Varah made a port call at Mazabique Capital Maputo.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi to inaugurate Barsinagar Solar Power Plant.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will lay the foundation stone of NLC India's (NLCIL) 300 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Barsingsar of Bikaner district in Rajasthan.
•  The lignite miner's plant is part of the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy's (MNRE) CPSE Scheme.

                                              International Affairs

The economies of Japan and the UK slipped into recession.

• Japan and the UK are both officially in recession, according to figures published Thursday, after Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell for two consecutive quarters to close out 2023.
• After this recession, Germany replaced Japan as the third-largest economy in the world.

Prabowo Subianto became the President of the Indonesia.

• Prabowo Subianto emerges victorious in Indonesia’s Presidential race, securing nearly 60% of the votes in the first round.
• His military background and alignment with President Joko Widodo’s policies propel him to a clear-cut victory, sparking positive reactions in Indonesian markets.

                                                  Economy

RBI and Nepal Rastra Bank Sign Pact for UPI-NPI Linkage.

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a significant collaboration with Nepal Rastra Bank, aiming to integrate the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) of India and the National Payments Interface (NPI) of Nepal.
• This integration seeks to streamline cross-border remittances between the two countries, facilitating instant and cost-effective fund transfers.

1. The Supreme Court of India recently ended which scheme?

(a) Electoral Bond Scheme

(b) Right to Information Act

(c) Aadhaar Card System

(d) GST Regime

Answer- Electoral Bond Scheme

2. Which country did the Indian Coast Guard Ship Varah visit?

(a) Sri Lanka

(b) Maldives

(c) Mozambique

(d) Seychelles

Answer- Mozambique

3. Which country overtook Japan as the third-largest economy in the world after the recent recession?

(a) China

(b) India

(c) Germany

(d) South Korea

Answer- Germany

4. What is the main goal of the agreement signed between RBI and Nepal Rastra Bank?

(a) Promoting trade between the two countries

(b) Facilitating cross-border money transfers

(c) Sharing financial data for security purposes

(d) Establishing a joint central bank

Answer- Facilitating cross-border money transfers

5. Which of the following countries slipped into recession recently?

(a) China and England

(b) Japan and Germany

(c) Srilanka and Ukraine

(d) Japan and England

Answer- Japan and England