11th December, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
World’s largest railway station redevelopment programme being undertaken in country

• Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the world’s largest railway station redevelopment programme is being undertaken in the country, benefiting one thousand 324 stations.
• The Government has increased allocation to railways nine times as compared to the UPA era.
• The new tracks are being laid at the speed of 167 kilometres per year as against 60 kilometres per year during UPA regime.
• 12 thousand Road Over Bridges ROBs and Road Under Bridges RUBs were built in the last 10 years as against four thousand ROB and RUBs during the Congress led UPA Government.

INTERNATIONAL
Poland President Andrzej Duda signs law to freeze electricity prices until September 2025

• President of Poland Andrzej Duda signed a law yesterday that will freeze electricity prices for households at 500 Polish zlotys per megawatt-hour until the end of September 2025. According to a statement from the president’s office, the new law will also benefit local government units and certain sensitive entities from a capped electricity price of 693 Polish zlotys per megawatt-hour until the end of March 2025.
• The law also requires electricity sellers to submit tariff adjustment applications to the president of the Energy Regulatory Office by the 30th of April 2025.

ECONOMY
MANUFACTURING OF ZETs

• The Ministry of Heavy Industries notified the PM E-DRIVE scheme, with a budgetary outlay of ₹10,900 crore, out of which ₹500 crores have been allocated in the form of demand incentives for e-trucks and other emerging EVs.
• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Components Industry in India notified by the Government for enhancing India's manufacturing capabilities for Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products (including e-Trucks) with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 crore proposes financial incentives to boost domestic manufacturing of AAT products with minimum 50% Domestic Value Addition (DVA) and attract investments in the automotive manufacturing value chain.
• The Ministry of Heavy Industries notified the PM E-DRIVE scheme with a budgetary outlay of ₹10,900 crore.  The scheme envisages support of ₹2,000 crore for setting up of adequate public charging infrastructure for various categories of electric vehicles.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
IIT Madras Completes 410-Meter Hyperloop Test Track

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has successfully completed a 410-meter-long Hyperloop test track.
• This groundbreaking achievement was officially announced by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and marks a major milestone in the country’s pursuit of high-speed transportation technology.
•  The project, which represents the first of its kind in India, is being developed as part of a collaboration between the Indian Railways, IIT Madras’ Avishkar Hyperloop team, and TuTr, an innovative startup incubated at IIT Madras.
• Hyperloop is an advanced transportation system that was originally proposed by Elon Musk in 2012. The system is designed to provide high-speed travel through low-pressure tubes, enabling vacuum-sealed environments that significantly reduce air resistance and friction, which are typically encountered in traditional transport methods. The goal of the Hyperloop is to offer faster, energy-efficient, and sustainable transportation over long distances.

SPORTS
20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship – Japan Triumphs Over South Korea

• The 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship concluded in a spectacular fashion on December 10, 2024, with Japan clinching their second-ever championship title by defeating South Korea 25-24 in a thrilling final.
• Held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, the match showcased exceptional skill, resilience, and determination from both teams. Japan’s victory marked a historic moment as they ended South Korea’s dominance in the competition, which had seen them win the title seven times in a row.
• Despite the loss, South Korea expressed pride in their overall performance throughout the tournament. The team was determined to come back stronger in future competitions.

Published date : 12 Dec 2024 10:38AM