Contemporary Current Affairs Education Educational Environment Health Investment News Politics Sports Technology WBCS

Current Affairs 1^st June, 2024

Days

1^st June is observed as World Milk Day since 2001 by the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) of the UN to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and to celebrate the diary sector.
1^st June is also celebrated as the Global Day of Parents.
- Theme 2024: The Promise of Playful Parenting.

Appointment

Shahrukh Khan has been appointed as the New Brand Ambassador of the Muthoot Pappachan Group a.k.a Muthoot Blue.
P Santosh has been appointed as the MD & CEO of National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL), the state owned bad-bank.
Malaysia has appointed its new High Commissioner to India as Dato Muzaffar Shah Mustafa.

Reports

Red List of Mangrove Ecosystems report 2024:
- Released by: IUCN on the occasion of International Day for Biodiversity (22 May).
- Subject: First comprehensive global assessment of mangroves by IUCN.
- Findings:
  - Half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems are at risk of collapsing.
  - Mangrove ecosystem in South India, Shared with Sri Lanka and Maldives is categorized as ‘critically endangered’.
  - In contrast Mangrove ecosystems in the Bay of Bengal region (shared with Bangladesh) and the western coast (shared with Pakistan) are classified as “least concerned”.
  - India has about 3% of the total mangrove cover in South Asia.
  - India’s mangrove cover has increased by 54 km (1.01%) compared to the previous assessment.
  - The current mangrove cover in India is 4,975 sq km, which is 0.15% of the country’s total geographical area.
  - West Bengal (42.45%) has the largest share of India’s Mangrove cover, followed by Gujarat at 23.66% and Andaman & Nicobar (12.39%).
  - The South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal alone accounts for 41.85% of India’s mangrove cover. This region includes the Sundarbans National Park, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world.
  - Gujarat has shown the maximum increase of 37 sq km in mangrove cover.
  - Coasts along the Northwest Atlantic, North Indian Ocean , Red Sea, South China Sea and Gulf of Aden are predicted to be significantly impacted.
  - Without increased conservation, about 7,065 sq km (5%) more mangroves could be lost, and 23,672 sq km (16%) will be submerged by 2050.

National News

For the first time 64 Great Indian Bustards , a.k.a ‘Godawan’ were spotted in Jaisalmer district during the annual waterhole survey, a method used for wildlife census.
- In 2022, there were 42 Great Indian Bustards.
- Great Indian Bustards:
  - The state bird of Rajasthan.
  - Scientific name: Ardeotis nigriceps.
  - It inhabits dry grasslands and scrublands.
  - IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered.
  - Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I.
  - CITES: Appendix I.

Sports

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has agreed to join the World Boxing, the newly formed governing body in April 2023.
- It was formed after the International Olympic Council (IOC) refused to recognize the International Boxing Association (IBA).
- Boxing at the Paris Olympics 2024 is set to be overseen by the IOC.
- The BFI President: Ajay Singh
- World Boxing President: Boris van der Vorst.

International

Pakistan has launched a multi-mission communication satellite PAKSAT MM1 for faster internet connectivity with the help of China form the Xichang satellite launch centre in China’s southwestern province of Sichuan.
- This is Pakistan’s second satellite to be sent into orbit within a month. On May 3, Pakistan’s mini satellite ‘iCube-Qamar’ was launched as part of China’s Chang’e-6 lunar mission.
The Global Unemployment is set to fall slightly to 4.9% in 2024 according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) from 5.2% in 2023.
- However it warned that inequalities in labour market will persist, with women in low income countries being particularly affected.
- The report found that 183 million people meet the definition of unemployed, meaning they are actively looking for work and are immediately available. But the no. of people who wanted a job stood at 402 million.
- Women were more likely to be unwillingly out of work and disproportionately affected by a lack of opportunities.
- Women in particularly low-income countries will be hard-hit. Women – 22.8%, men – 15.3%.
- For the high income countries, the rate stood at 9.7% for women and 7.3% for men.
- Worldwide, the report estimated that 45.6% of women of working age were properly employed in 2024, for men the figure being 69.2%.
Near Grindavik on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula, a volcano has erupted making the fifth eruption since December.
Donald Trump became the first former American President to be convicted of felony crimes.

Banking and Finance

The Reserve Bank of India has fined HSBC Bank for the violation on reporting requirements under liberalized remittances scheme of FEMA regulation 1999.
- FEMA came in 1999 as a successor to the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, or FERA of 1973, with changing economic conditions in a post-liberalisation India.
- The main objective of FEMA is to facilitate external trade and payments and promote the orderly development and maintenance of the foreign exchange market in India.
- The FEMA’s head office is known as the Enforcement Directorate, situated in Delhi.

Current Affairs 2^nd-3^rd June, 2024

Day

June 2 is observed as Telangana Formation Day and this year marks a decade since this state was carved out of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
- Under the Cong.-led UPA government, the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014 was passed for a separate Telangana state.
- As per the act, Hyderabad was to be the common capital of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana until June 2, 2024. Following the expiry of this period, Hyderabad would be the capital of Telangana and there would be a new capital for Andhra Pradesh.
- Telangana:
  - CM– Revanth Reddy
  - The state bird – Palapitta (Indian Roller or Blue Jay).
  - The state animal – Jinka (Deer)
  - The state tree – Prosopic Cineraria
  - The state flower – Tangedu.
June 2 is also observed as International Sex Workers’ Day.
- Theme: ‘Access to Justice’.
June 3 is celebrated as the World Bicycle Day.

Appointments

Ruchira Kamboj, India’s first woman Permanent Representative to UN has retired after 35 years of service during which she served as Indian envoy in Bhutan , South Africa and the UNESCO.
- From 2011-14 she was India’s Chief of Protocol, the first and the only woman so far to have held this position.

National

The Central Government has approved the setting up of a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Assam near Guwahati, that will be mentored by the IIM Ahmedabad.
- This is going to be the second IIM in the North East India only after IIM Shillong.
- There are 21 IIMs in India as of now.
Singaporehas once again came up as the largest source of FDI in India in 2023-24. Although the overseas capital inflow to India has contracted by 3% and FDI from Singapore has dipped by 31.55%, India has attracted the maximum inflows from the country.
- Mauritius is the second largest investor in India.

Awards

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS0 has been awarded the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
- NIMHANS is an institute of national importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

International

The cleanup project in the Sunkoshi river in Bagmati Province of Nepal, has removed around 24,575 kg of Plastic waste from the river. The project was conducted under the PLEASE (Plastic Free Rivers and Seas of South Asia) Program.
- Sunkoshi is a tributary of the Satkoshi or Koshi river. The Koshi river drains the eastern Nepal. The source of the Sunkoshi river is located in the Zhangzangbo Glacier in Tibet.
Iceland has elected business woman Halla Tomasdottir as its new President.
- ICELAND:
  - Capital: Reykjavik
  - Currency: Iceland Krona.
Kuwait’s Amir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has appointed Sabah Khalid Al-Sabah as the crown Prince.

Science and Tech

China’s ambitious Chang’e-6 spacecraft, that aims to collect soil and rock samples from the far side of the moon, has successfully landed at the South Pole’s Aitken Basin.
- Chang’e –6 will attempt to be the first to collect samples from the moon’s far side and transport them back to Earth.

Sports

Indian chess GM R. Pragganandha has scored a massive victory over world number two Fabaino Caruna of United States and made his way to the top 10 of the world rankings after the fifth round of the Norway Chess Tournament.
India’s Athlete D.P Manu has clinched Gold Medal in Javelin Throw at the Taiwan Athletics Open 2024.
Nayana James has clinched Gold Medal in the Women’s Long Jump at the Taiwan Athlectics Open 2024.
After beating Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid has won the UEFA Champions League title for the record extending 15^th time.

Current Affairs 4^th& 5^th June, 2024

Days

4^th June is observed as the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression to lay emphasis on the rights of children and protect children around the world from incidents of violence, sexual abuse and terror.
- The UNGA first observed the day in 1982 after the impact of the Lebanon War, to protect Palestinian and Lebanese children from Israeli aggression.
June 5^th is globally observed as the World Environment Day.
- Theme 2024: Land Restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
- Global host: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
- This day is the biggest international day for the environment, led by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and it is held annually since 1973.
- Land restoration is a key pillar of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030).

Appointment

Sushil Kumar Mehta has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Deendayal Port Authority.

Award

Poet and Playwright Siddhalinga Pattanashetti has been chosen for the prestigious Gudleppa Hallikeri Award for 2024 by the Gudleppa Hallikeri Memorial Foundation Hosaitti (Haveri Dist), Karnataka.

National News

Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has revealed that in this Lok Sabha Polls, 64.2 crore voters have participated making it a World Record.
- In this Lok Sabha Polls, 31.2 Crore women voters cast their votes, which is also the highest in the world.
- In Madhya Pradesh, None of The Above (NOTA) has created a new record in Indore crossing 1 lakh 55 thousand votes.
- Recently appointed Election Commissioners: Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
India’s IndiGo Airways is going to host the 81^st International Air Transport Association (IATA), AGM in 2025 in Delhi.
- India will host the world’s most premier aviation event, the annual general meeting of the IATA in 2025 after a gap of 42 years.
- Previously India has hosted this event in 1983 and 1958.
- About 330 airlines, comprising more than 80% of global air traffic are the members of the IATA.
The National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC) for the World’s largest grain storage plan has held its maiden meeting in the Ministry of Cooperation, New Delhi. This plan aims to develop various agricultural infrastructures at the Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies level.
- PM Modi has launched the world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector, for farmers in Feb 2024.
In Ladakh, the Tiger Hill Brigade of Indian Army organized a Human Library event with Kargil War Heroes as part of the 25^th Kargil Vijay Diwas celebrations in Hanuyoma village in the Hanu Valley.
- Kargil Vijay Diwas is celebrated in July 26^th every year.
The Supreme Court of India has reconstituted its Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee – a 12 member committee headed by Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohi as its chairperson.

Defence

Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Indian Navy has taken part in the mega multinational war games ‘Red Flag Air’ and ‘RIMPAC Naval’ (Rim of the Pacific) exercises hosted by their US counterparts.
- Other important Defence exercises b/w India & US:
  - Yudh Abhyas – Army Exercise
  - Cope India – Air Force Exercise
  - Vajra Prahar – Special Forces of Indian Army & US Army
  - Tiger Triumph – Tri-service Exercise
INS Mysore – the front line guided missile destroyer of the Eastern Fleet has celebrated its silver Jubilee after 25 years of service.
- The ship is indigenously designed and constructed and is the second of the Delhi class destroyers.

Science and Tech & Environment

ISRO has developed the new PraVaHa software for aero-dynamic design and analysis, that can simulate external and internal flows on launch vehicles, winged re-entry vehicles.
- The PraVaHa has been extensively used in the Gaganyaan program for aerodynamic analysis of human-rated launch vehicles.
Researchers have discovered a new ant species from the Eastern Himalayas, Siang Valley of Arunachal Pradesh belonging to the rare Paraparatrechina genus.
- The scientific name of the new ant is : Paraparatrechina neela
- Its body is predominantly metallic blue, except for the antennae, mandibles and legs.

Banking & Finance

UPI (United Payment Interface) transactions has clocked a new high in value in May by processing 14.04 billion transactions worth 20.45 trillion rupees.
RBI has brought back 100 tonnes of Gold reserves from the Vault of UK to India. As of March 31, 2024, the total gold held by the Reserve Bank was 822.10 metric tones.
- Most countries keep their gold in the vaults pf the Bank of England or other such location and pay a fee for the privileges.
SBI has become the 7^th company to cross Rs 8 lakh crore market capitalization after its shares hit a record high of Rs. 900.15.
- Previously, Reliance Industries, TCS, HDFC Bank, Bharti Airtel, Infosys and ICICI have attained the milestone.

International News

Maldives has banned Israelis from entering the country over the war in Gaza. Nearly 11,00 Israelis visited Maldives last year.
- Maldives:
  - Capital – Male
  - Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa
  - Prez. – Mohammed Muizzu
- Israel:
  - Capital – Jerusalem
  - Currency – New Shekel
  - Prez. – Benjamin Netanyahu
Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as the first woman president of Mexico.
- Mexico:
  - Capital – Mexico City
  - Currency: Mexican Peso (MXN)
Dr. Helen Mary Roberts from the Pakistan Army Medical Corps has made history by becoming the first woman from minority community (Christian woman) to be promoted to the rank of brigadier in Pakistan.

Sports

Dinesh Karthik has announced retirement from all forms of cricket.
- He made his India debut at the age of 19 in against England at Lord’s in 2004.
- He has played in 6 IPL teams since the inception of the tournament.
Taiwan Athletics Open: India has bagged 7 medals including 3 gold, 3 silver, one bronze.
- Nayana James – Gold – Women’s Long Jump
- Ankesh Chaudhary – Gold – Men’s 800m long jump
- DP Manu – Gold – Men’s Javelin throw.
The National Anti-Doping Appeal Panel (ADAP) has rejected 100mnational record holder Dutee Chand’s appeal against the four year ban imposed on her in August 2023.
- She had been tested positive in a dope-test in Bhubaneshwar in December 2022.

Current Affairs 6^th & 7^th June, 2024

Days

6^th June is celebrated as the Russian Language Day commemorating the birth anniversary of the great Russian Poet Alexander Pushkin.
7^th June has been celebrated as the World Food Safety Day to raise awareness about the importance of food safety and promote actions to prevent, detect, and manage foodborne risks since 2019.
- Theme: “Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected”.

Appointments

Duvvuri Seshagiri has taken charge as the Director of the Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL), Kerala.
- It is a naval research wing under the DRDO.

Awards

Director of the ICAR – Central Tobacco Research Institute, Dr. Sheshu Madhav Maganti has been awarded with the NAAS fellow award for his outstanding contributions to agricultural sciences, particularly his work on the sustainable production of rice and tobacco.

Reports & Indices

A report on the status of diurnal arboreal mammals in and around the forest of the Sharavathi Valley Lion-Tailed Macaque (LTM), Karnataka Forest Department has found that there are 730 Lion Tailed Macaques in vicinity.
- Lion Tailed Macaque is an Old World Monkey.
- Sci. name: Macaca Silenus
- In the wild they are endemic to India, found in the small and severely fragmented rainforests pf the Western Ghats in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Conservation status:
  - IUCN: Endangered
  - CITES: Appendix I
  - Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
QS World University Rankings 2025:
- IIT Bombay has secured the top spot in India after acing the 118^th position in the 2025 rankings making an improvement of 31 places from 149^th position in 2024.
- The global university rankings has said the 61% of Indian universities have improved their standings as compared to the last year.
- IIT Delhi ( 150^th) and IISc Bengaluru (211st) has been standing in the second and third positions in the Indian Universities.
- Only IIT Indore has suffered a decline to 477^th position in 2025 from 454^th in 2024.
- Global topper: MIT of America > UK’s Imperial College of London > Harvard University.

National news

On the occasion of the ‘World Environment Day’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign by planting a Peepal tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi.
- Theme of the World Environment Day: “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience”.
After the BJP won in the Assembly Elections in Odisha, BJD Chief and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has handed over his resignation to Governor Raghubar Das at the Raj Bhavan, Bhubaneshwar.
- Naveen Patnaik is the longest serving CM of Odisha who served for five consecutive terms spreading over 24 years and three months.
Congress Nominee Priyanka Jarkiholi, after winning from Chikkodi, Karnataka, has become the youngest tribal woman to enter the Parliamnet from an unreserved seat in Karnataka, since Independence.
World’s highest Polling station is located at Tashigang, Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh at an altitude of 15, 256 ft. It has been declared a model polling station where 100% polling was recorded during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The Ministry of Electronics and Technology (MeitY) has inaugurated the indigenously developed Air-Quality Monitoring System (AQ-AIMS) and ‘Air-Pravaah’ App on the occasion of the World Environment Day for real time Air Quality index monitoring.

International News

Sri Lanka is going to get blue economy research fellowships from India-BIMSTEC initiative, BIMReN (BIMSTEC – India Marine Research Network), a joint initiative of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the BOBP-IGO, to facilitate sustainable development of blue economy by networking researchers and research institutions in BIMSTEC countries.
- BIMSTEC – Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation , established in June 6, 1997, through Bangkok Declaration has 7 members – Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Bhutan.
- HQ: Dhaka, Bangladesh.
ESA (European Space Agency) has adopted a consensus for Zero Debris Charter and it has been signed by 12 initial signatories, to limit the creation of orbital debris.
- It is a non-binding agreement with the goal of no addition of debris in orbit by 2030.
- It also requests operators to perform “timely” removal of satellites from low Earth orbit and the geostationary belt at the end of their lives.
Slovenia becomes the latest country to recognize a Palestinian State.
- It comes days after Spain, Norway and Ireland recognized a Palestinian state.
- Now, more than 140 countries recognize a Palestinian state, more than 2/3^rd of the member nations.
- Slovenia:
  - Capital: Ljubljana
  - Currency: Euro
Philippines court of Appeals revoked biosafety permits for golden rice and Bt eggplant due to safety, health and legal concerns. It is developed through genetic engineering.
- Golden rice is developed through genetic engineering.
Mount Kanlaon, a stratovolcano in the Central Philippines has erupted recently.
- It is located in the island of Negros, Philippines and also the highest peak of the island of Negros.
- It is located on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’.

Business

Adani Ports has signed a 30 year pact with Tanzania to operate the Container Terminal 2 at the Dar es Salaam Port.
Ashok Leyland has rolled out ‘Sarathi Suraksha’ policy aimed at safeguarding the driver community, with insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh.

Science and Tech

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) has announced a joint Indo-French infrared earth observation satellite mission, ‘TRISHNA’ (Thermal Infra-Red Imaging Satellite for High-Resolution Natural Assessment), to monitor surfacetemperature and water management around the world.
- It will provide data points for climate impacts on earth through evapotranspiration monitoring, which measures the evaporation of water from land as well as release from plants.
- The mission will study water presence and concentrations.
- It will monitor thermal anomalies and spikes.
- It will also study aerosols, water vapour, and clouds in the atmosphere.
- It is set to be launched in 2025 with a lifespan of 5 years.
- The satellite will carry two payloads- the Thermal Infra-Red (TIR) Payload by the French space agency CNES and the Visible Near Infrared Short Wave Infrared-Red 9VNIR-SWIR) developed by ISRO.
- It would address critical food security issues by providing essential data that can be implemented to develop newer sustainable policies in water.
59 year old Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has become the first person to spend 1000 days in space. This feat was reached by Kononenko during his fifth mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Indian-American Astronaut Sunita Williams has become the first women to pilot the Boeing ‘Starliner’ on maiden crewed test flight aboard the United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

Sports

PV Sindhu has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador for Tobacco Control on the occasion of World No Tobacco Day 2024, 31^st May, 2024.

Current Affairs 8^th June 2024

Days

8^th June is celebrated as the ‘World Oceans Day’ to raise awareness about the necessity of protecting the ocean and the sustainable development goals that can be achieved through it.
- Theme 2024: ‘Awaken New Depths’.
8^th June is observed as the ‘World Brain Tumor Day’ since the year 2000.
- Theme 2024: ‘Brain Health and Prevention’.

Appointments

Shri Kamal Kishore Soan has taken over the charge of Director General of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC), under the Ministry of Labor & Employment.

National News

The Nagi and Nakti bird sanctuaries, both located in Bihar’s Jamui district are now recognized under the Ramsar Convention.
- Now the number of Ramsar sites in India has grown to 82.
- A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, an international environmental treaty signed on 2 February 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, under the auspices of UNESCO.
Environmentalists Jai Dhar Gupta and Vijay Dhasmana have created India’s first biosphere in a tiger reserve, ‘Rajaji Raghati Biosphere (RRB)’, a 35 acre private forest initiative.
- It is situated in the Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.
Following the recent water-crisis in Delhi and the subsequent objection of Haryana to facilitate the flow of water from Himachal Pradesh to Delhi, the Supreme Court has directed the Himachal Pradesh Govt to release 137 cusecs of water to Delhi and directed Haryana to facilitate the flow.
- The INDIA Bloc partners, AAP and Congress rule Delhi and Himachal Pradesh and Haryana has a BJP Government.
- One cusecs = 28.317 liters of liquid flow per second.
The Lok Sabha Secretariat has developed “Prerana Sthal” to showcase the statues of the great leaders and freedom fighters. These statues were earlier installed at different parts of the complex.
The three day 3^rd Indian Analytical Congress is being held in Uttarakhand Capital Dehradun from 5 to 7^th June 2024.
- It is an international conference organized by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) and the ISAS-Delhi Chapter.
- Theme : “Role of Science and Technology in Green Transitions”

Obituaries

One of the eminent wildlife biologists and pioneers of wildlife conservation in the country, A.J.T. Johnsingh has passed away in Bengaluru.
- His extraordinary work in elephants in the early 1980s was instrumental for the formulation of the Project Elephant.
- He brought the Mudhumalai WLS under the cognizance of wildlife experts world-wide.

Reports and Indices

UNESCO’s State of Ocean Report 2024:
- Launched by: Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.
- Key Findings:
  - The rate of ocean warming has doubled in 20 years, 2023 being one of the warmest years since 1950s.
  - The coastal species are suffocating from declining oxygen levels. Since 1960s, the ocean has lost 2% of its oxygen due to warming temperatures and pollutants.
  - Rising acidity is also a major concern. 25%-30% of fossil fuel emission absorbed by the ocean.
  - Since the pre-industrial times, the ocean acidity has increased by 30%.
  - Beacons of Hope: Blue Carbon and the Marine Protected Areas are key in this regard. Marine Forests are able to absorb up to 5 times more carbon than the forest on land.
  - The MPAs are known to protect biodiversity harboring 72% of the 1500 endangered marine species in the IUCN Red List.

Environment, Science & Tech

For the first time researchers have found a new virus species on the surface of Arctic ice that could slow down the melting of ice due to global warming. These viruses feed off the algae on the ice sheets terminating the algal bloom that leads to faster ice melting and exacerbating the effect of the green-house gases.
The United Nations Climate Head Simon Stiell has warned the world at the Bonn Climate Change Conference in Germany that the world is headed for 2.7 degree Celsius warming and the road to keeping it top 1.5 degree Celsius is a steep one.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have discovered the earliest known galaxy, JADES-GS-z14-0, formed 290 million years ago after the Big Bang.
- The galaxy is so bright but it is surprising that it formed during the universe’s infancy, at only 2% of its current age.

International News

Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has inaugurated the 900 MW Arun-3 Hydroelectric Project in Nepal.
New Banknotes featuring the portrait of King Charles III have now entered in circulation.
- The King is only the second monarch to appear on these notes, with Queen Elizabeth II first featuring in 1960.

Sports

During the clash between India and Ireland, Rohit Sharma has completed 600 sixes in the International Cricket, being the most number of six hitter in the international cricket.
India has drawn 0-0 against Kuwait in the last game of Sunil Chhetri in FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier.
- Sunil Chheri has retired as India’s highest goal scorer with 94 goals.
Indian All-Rounder Kedar Yadav has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. He played for Maharashtra in the domestic cricket.

Current Affairs 9^th & 10^th June, 2024

National News

Formation of the New Government after the General Election 2024:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken oath for a third straight term as the head of a coalition government after two full tenures in which the BJP was in majority on its own.
- President Draupadi Murmu has administered the oath taking ceremony.
- 72 council of ministers have taken oath to their offices. They include – The PM and 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State with Independent Charge and 36 Ministers of State.
- Mr. Modi will equal the feat of Jawaharlal Nehru of winning three consecutive general elections and assuming the role of the Prime Minister.
- Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu is going to be the youngest Union Minister in Cabinet.
- The total strength of the CoM can’t exceed 15% of the total number of Lok Sabha MPs.
- The 18^th Lok Sabha has 543 members and thus can’t exceed the CoM of 81 members.
- BJP won 240 seats, falling short of the 272 majority mark.
- Despite having 543 seats, counting was conducted for 542 seats following the uncontested election of BJP’s Surat Candidate Mukesh Dalal.
- Om Birla, MP from the Kota Parliamentary constituency, has been re-elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He broke the 20 yr old Lok Sabha trend of electing new presiding officer after each general election.
The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) of the Ministry of Defence has signed a MoU with the Bank of India, Canara Bank , Central Bank of India and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank in New Delhi to onboard them as SPARSHservicecentres across 1128 branches of the four banks.
- Sparsh (System for Pension Administration, RAKSHA) is a web-based system for processing pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners.
IIT Dharwad has unveiled an innovative fire rescue assistant drone able to fly through small rooms and high temperatures with sensors that can survive soot.
Netherlands has emerged as India’s third largest export destination after the US and UAE during 2023-24.
- The main commodities exported are petro products, electrical goods, chemicals and pharmaceuticals in the last fiscal.
- India’s trade surplus with the Netherlands has increased to $17.4 Billion.

Obituaries

Prominent Media Personality & Eenadu Group Founder Ramoji Rao has passed away at the age of 88. He was the founder of the Ramoji Film City.
- In 2016, Ramoji Rao was awarded the Padma Vibhushan from the then President Pranab Mukherjee.

Appointments

Sameer Bansal has been appointed as the Managing Director and the CEO of The PNB MetLife.

Awards

SEBI wins “Best Conduct of Business Regulator” award in Asia Pacific by the Asian Banker for its role in enhancing the regulatory framework for securities markets in India.
- SEBI Chairperson – Mrs. Madhuri Puri Buch.
Vellayan Subbiah, chairman of the Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co Ltd. has been named as the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024.
- After NR Narayana Murthy, Uday Kotak and Kiran Majumdar Shaw, Subbaiah became the fourth Indian to be awarded this coveted award.
C-DOT (Centre for Development of Telematics, the premier R&D Centre for the GoI has won the United Nations World Summit of Information Society (WISS) 2024 award.

Reports and Indices

Asia Pacific Global Capital Flows May 2024:
- Released by: Colliers
- Findings:
  - India, China, Singapore and Australia are in the top five global destinations for cross-border capital investment in land/development sites in the first quarter of 2024.
  - Global investors infused $23 Billion in the Indian Real Estate Market since 2018.
  - US remained the top investor contributing about 44% of the foreign inflows.

Environment, Science and Tech

The European Space agency and the JAXA (Japanese Space Agency) has collaboratively launched the EarthCARE satellite to study how the formation of clouds and the density of aerosols in the temperature in the atmosphere impact the Earth’s temperature, affecting its energy budget.

Sports

French Open 2024:
- Men’s Singles:
  - Winner – Carlos Alcaraz. He became the youngest man to win Grand Slam titles on all the three surfaces.
  - Runners Up – Alexander Zverev.
- Women’s Singles:
  - Winner- Iga Swiatek (third consecutive French Open Champion in five years.)
  - Runners Up – Jasmine Paolini.
ISSF Rifle Pistol Munich World Cup 2024:
- Sarabjot Singh has won Gold medal in the Men’s 10 meter air pistol event.
- Sift Kaur Samra has won Bronze medal in the women’s 50-meter Rifle event.
- With one bronze and one gold India stood at third position in the medal tally along with France.
- China has topped the list with 11 medals including 4 golds, followed by Norway.
Puja Tomar becomes the first Indian to win a bout at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in Louisville 2024. She is born in Budhana village in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar.

International

Peru has adopted India’s UPI system for Instant Digital Payments. The NPCI International Payments Limited , the international arm of the NPCI has entered into an agreement with the central bank of Peru to establish an instant payments system similar to the UPI of India.

Current Affairs 11^th June, 2024

Days

11^th June was celebrated as the first ever International Day of Play by the UN as a reminder of the urgency to ensure and promote play across all ages.
- Theme 2024: Play Makes A Better World.

National News

List of Narendra Modi’s Cabinet Ministers’ Port-folios 3.0:
- Prime Minister – Shri Narendra Modi
  - Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions;
  - Department of Atomic Energy;
  - Department of Space;
  - All important policy issues; and
  - All other portfolios not allocated to any Minister.
- Shri Rajnath Singh:
  - Minister of Defence
- Shri Amit Shah:
  - Minister of Home Affairs; and
  - Minister of Cooperation
- Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari:
  - Minister of Road Transport and Highways
- Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda:
  - Minister of Health and Family Welfare; and
  - Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers
- Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan:
  - Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; and
  - Minister of Rural Development
- Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman:
  - Minister of Finance; and
  - Minister of Corporate Affairs.
- Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar:
  - Minister of External Affairs
- Shri Manohar Lal Khattar:
  - Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs; and
  - Minister of Power

Shri H.D. Kumaraswamy:Minister of Heavy Industries; and Minister of Steel
- Shri Piyush Goyal:
  - Minister of Commerce and Industry
- Shri Dharmendra Pradhan:
  - Minister of Education
- Shri Jitan Ram Manjhi:
  - Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Entreprises
- Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh (a.k.a Lallan Singh):
  - Minister of Panchayati Raj; and
  - Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
- Shri Sarbananda Sonowal:
  - Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- Dr. Virendra Kumar:
  - Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.
- Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu:
  - Minister of Civil Aviation.
- Shri Prahlad Joshi:
  - Minister of Consumer Affiars, Food and Public Distribution; and
  - Minister of New and Renewable Energy.
- Shri Jual Oram:
  - Minister of Tribal Affairs
- Shri Giriraj Singh:
  - Minister of Textiles
- Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw:
  - Minister of Railways;
  - Minister of Information and Broadcasting; and
  - Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.
- Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia :
  - Minister of Communications; and
  - Minister of Development of North Eastern Region
- Shri Bhupendra Yadav:
  - Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
- Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat:
  - Minister of Culture; and
  - Minister of Tourism
- Smt. Annpurna Devi:
  - Minister of Women and Child Development
- Shri Kiren Rijiju:
  - Minister of Parliamentary Affairs; and
  - Minister of Minority Affairs.
- Shri Hardeep Singh Puri:
  - Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
- Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya:
  - Minister of Labour and Employment; and
  - Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports.
- Shri G. Kishan Reddy:
  - Minister of Coal; and
  - Minister of Mines
- Shri Chirag Paswan:
  - Minister of Food Processing Industries.
- Shri CR Patil:
  - Minister of Jal Shakti.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi after assuming the charge as the Prime Minister has disbursed the 17^th installment of the PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi. This will benefit 9 crore 30 lakh farmers by distributing around 20 thousand crore rupees.
- PM Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN):
  - Launched in 2018, it is a Central-Sector Scheme wholly funded by the Union Government with an objective to supplement the financial needs of the farmers in procuring various inputs to ensure proper crop health and appropriate yields.
  - Under this scheme Rs. 6,000/- is provided to every farmer in three equal annual installments through direct benefit transfer.
Prem Singh Tamang Golay of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha has sworn in as the new CM of Sikkim for the second time. The oath was administered by Sikkim Governor – Lakshman Prasad Acharya.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought report from the Union Minstry of Women and Child Development and the state governments of UP, Rajasthan, MP AND Gujarat on ‘sale of girls as part of ‘Nata Pratha’.
- Nata Pratha is a traditional practice prevalent in certain communities in the state like Rajasthan, MP, UP and Gujarat , that involves selling of girls, often on stamp paper, under the guise of marriage. It often involves child. Transactions are usually conducted by the girl’s own family.
  - The ‘Nata Pratha’ is comparable to modern form of prostitution for which the NHRC has demanded eradication and abolition.
- Legal and Human Rights violations in the Nata Pratha:
  - Human Trafficking under ‘Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956”.
  - Child Marriage
  - POCSO Act, 2012

Awards

Nar Singh and Rohini Lokhande has been awarded the Dilip Bose lifetime achievement award by the All India Tennis Association (AITA)
- Dilip Bose was a professional tennis player from India who represented India in the Davis Cup and won the Asian Championship.

Defence

Sub Lieutenant Anamika B. Rajeev has become the Indian Navy’s first women helicopter pilot during the passing out parade held at the Naval air station INS Rajali at Ranipet, Tamil Nadu.
- Lt Jamyang Tsewang, in the same ceremony, became the first Commissioned Naval Officer from Ladakh who also graduated as a qualified helicopter pilot.

Science and Technology

CSIR- IICT ( Indian Institute of Chemical Technology) Hyderabad scientists have spotlighted the potential of Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), a protein-rich extract derived from the micro-algae ‘Chlorella sorokinia’ as an ideal ingredient for a wide range of food and feed applications.
- CGF with its rich amino acid content (which are vital for human and vertebrate health but cannot be synthesized) and superior protein quality, presents a promising alternative protein source that even surpasses the biological values of the commercially available- soy meal.
Scientists have become fascinated with Han Purple, a 2500 year+ old artificial pigment due to its exhibition of quantum properties.
- Historically it was used in ancient artwork such as wall paintings, ceramics, metal-ware and jewellery.
- Disappeared after the Qin and Han dynasties, Han purple emits intense infrared light and changes its behavior under extreme cold and high magnetic fields.
  - It is a synthetic pigment made from barium copper silicate.
  - It was first identified by Elizabeth Fitzhugh.

International News

During the Bio International Convention 2024, the world’s largest bio-pharmaceutical exhibition, India, S. Korea, US, Japan and the EU have jointly launched the ‘Biopharmaceutical Alliance’ to put joint efforts into building a resilient supply chain in the biopharmaceutical sector.
- The alliance was launched in response to the drug supply chain shortages experienced during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Sports

The UP govt will sign a contract with Spain Headquartered Dorna Sports and its Indian partner Fairstreet Sports, to organize MotoGP event in Noida in the next year and annually upto 2029.
- Marco Bezzecchi won the IndianOil Grand Prix of MotoGP Bharat 2023 at the Buddh International Circuit.
Max Verstappen has won the third straight Canadian Grand Prix and his 60^th F1 victory.
India’s Sumit Nagal was won the Heilbronn Neckarcup Challenger Trophy in Germany as his 6^th ATP Challenger title, and with the victory he has qualified for the Paris Olympics and achieved a world ranking of 77.

Current Affairs 12^th June, 2024

Days

12^th June is celebrated as the ‘World Day Against Child Labour’ by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) since 2002 as part of its ongoing efforts to eliminate child labour.
- Theme 2024: ‘Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour’.
- ILO:
  - Estd.: 1919, Treaty of Versailles after the WWI.
  - HQ: Geneva, Switzerland.

Reports and Indices

UN’s report of the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has revealed that for the very first time, aquacultureis playing an increasingly important role in meeting the world’s food needs, surpassing wild fisheries in aquatic animal production.
- In 2022, aquaculture yielded 51% of the total aquatic animal production and 57% of which was destined for human consumption.

National News

On its latest guideline, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has notified that the universities will be allowed to offer admissions twice a year on lines of the foreign varsitites.
- The two admissions cycles of the Indian universities and the higher educational institutes will be July-August and January- February from the 2024-2025 academic session.
- The biannual admission will enable the HEIs to plan their resource distribution such as faculty, labs, classrooms and support services, more efficiently.
- Universities world-wide already follow a biannual system.
- The mandate however will not be mandatory for the HEIs, it is a flexibility that the UGC will provide to the HEIs to increase their student intake and offer new programs and enhance their international student collaboration.

Science and Technology

The smallest known great ape, that lived around 11 Million years ago has been found in Germany. The tiny creature is far smaller than any other great ape on record with an weight of 10 kg and the size of a human toddler.
- Scientific name: Buronius manfredschmidi
- This genus is far smaller that any living or fossil hominid, they were good climbers and mostly lived high in the sky. They lived in the late Miocene era.

Defence

The army Vice Chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has launched integrated generator monitoring, protection and control system, ‘Vidyut Rakshak’ developed by the Army Design Bureau (ADB).
Under the 08× Missile cum ammunition (MCA) Barge Project, the Indian Navy has launched the fifth barge, he LSAM 13 (Yard 81).
- On 2021, a contract was signed b/w the Min. of Defence and a Private Engineering firm in Vishakhapattanam.

International News

The United Nations has designated the year 2025 as the ‘International Year of Quantum Science and Technology’, the initiative being year –long and world-wide.
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) is holding its 112^th annual International Labour Conference in Geneva Switzerland from June 3 to June 14.
- The Indian tripartite delegation there is led by Secretary (Labour & Employment), Ms. Sumita Dawra.

Sports

India’s Gulveer Singh has clinched Silver Medal in the Men’s 5000 meter Race at Portland Track Festival High Performance Meet in US.
- He also became the fastest Indian in the Men’s 5000 meter race with a time of 13 minutes 18.92 seconds.

Current Affairs 13^th June, 2024

Days

June 13 is observed as the International Albinism Awareness Day since 2014.
- Theme 2024:”10 Years of IAAD: A Decade of Collective Progress”.
- Albinism is a non-contagious, rare and genetically inherited health condition present at birth, which results in the lack of melanin in the skin, eyes and hair, causing vulnerability to the sun and bright light.
- Almost all albinos are visually impaired and are prone to developing skin cancer.

National News

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has announced the 3^rd edition of the Antarashtriya Yoga Diwas Media Samman for 2024, aimed at recognizing the positive role and responsibility of the media in promoting the spread of yoga both in India and abroad.
- A total of 33 awards are presented under three categories – Print, Television and Radio – in 22 languages as well as English.
- International Yoga Day is celebrated on 21^st June each year.
After the Assembly Election in Odisha, Mohan Charan Majhi has been appointed as the new CM of Odisha. He is the BJP MLA from Keonjhar and belongs to the Santhal Community .
- KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida has been picked as the new two Deputy CMs.
- Odisha Governor- Shri Raghubar Das.
Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Telugu Desam Party chief has sworn in as the new CM of Andhra Pradesh.
- Simultaneously, Jana Sena Prty Chief, Pawan Kalyan has been sworn in as the Deputy CM of the state,
- Andhra Pradesh Gov.: S Abdul Nazeer.
In the maiden Cabinet Meeting of his third term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his cabinet has approved additional construction of 3 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).
- 2 Cr houses will be constructed under the PMAY-Gramin and 1 cr houses will be under the PMAY-Urban.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY):
  - It is a credit linked subsidy scheme initiated to provide affordable housing facility to the low and moderate income people. It is under two wings – PMAY Urban and PMAY Rural.
UP will soon have a new Tiger Reserve in the Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary following the evidence of Tiger population in it.
- Suhelwa WLS was declared in 1988 and it is spread across 452 sqkm.
- Tiger Reserves:
  - Tiger Reserves are notified by the State Governments as per the provisions of Section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, on advice of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
  - There are total 55 TRs in India.
  - Newest: Dholpu-Karauli TR, Rajasthan.
  - UP has 3 TRs: Dudhwa TR, NP; Pilhibit TR and Ranipur TR, WLS; Amangarh TR (buffer of Jim Corbett TR)
The WHO has confirmed the detection of H9N2 – Bird Flu, in a 4-year old in West Bengal , as the second documented case in India.
- H9N2 Virus:
  - A subtype of Avian Influenza.
  - Transmitted via contact with contaminated environments or diseases birds.
  - Common symptoms: Fever, sore throat, headache.

Rankings and Indices

Global Gender GAP Index:
- Released by – World Economic Forum (WEF)
- India’s Rank: 129 (2 place slip)
- Top: Iceland> Finland> Norway> New Zealand >Sweden.
- UK & USA : 14^thand 43^rd
- Bottom: Sudan (146) < Pakistan (145^th).
- Within South Asia, India was ranked 5^th after Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan.
- India figured among the economies with the lowest levels of economic parity registering less than 30% gender parity in estimated earned income.
- India showed best gender parity in terms of enrollment in secondary education , and ranked 65^th in terms of political empowerment of women globally.
Global Efficiency Index:
- Developed by: World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
- Vishakhapattanam Port has ranked 19^th in the index.
- The top container port is : Yangshan Port (China) > Port of Salaah (Oman).

Obituaries

Rajiv Taranath adistinguished exponent of Sarod has passed away in Mysuru. He belonged to the Senia Maihar Gharana and was the seniormost disciple of Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
- He was also a scholar of the English literature and had been awarded the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 2000 and the Padma Shri in 2019.

Appointment

Abhijit Kishore has been appointed as the Chairperson of the COAI (Cellular Operators Associations of India).
Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi is going to be the Next Chief of Army Staff from June 30, 2024.
- Formerly he served as the DG Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief in the Northern Command.
- The Army Chief retires on completion of three years in the appointment or on attaining the age 62, whichever is earlier.

Defence

The 8^th edition of India-Japan Maritime Exercise (JIMEX-24) has started in Japan.
- The Indian Navy is represented by the INS Shivalik and the JMSDF (Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force) is represented by the Guided Missile Destroyer JS Yugiri.
- Other exercises b/w India and Japan:
  - JIMEX ( Naval)
  - Malabar (A multinational naval exercise in which India, Japan, United State and Australia participates.)
  - SHINYUU Maitri (Air Force)
  - Dharma Guardian (Army)

International News

The Oxford University has agreed to return a stolen 500 year old Bronze idol of Saint Tirumankai Alvar to India. It is believed that this item had been stolen from a temple in Tamil Nadu.
1^st BRICS Ministerial Conference held with expanded membership in Russia.
- 10 full time members of the BRICS: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, with new members – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia.
- Russia will host the 16^th annual BRICS summit from 22 to 24 October this year.
- Brazil will be the host in the upcoming year.

Sports

India has been named as the host country of the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2025.
- Previously India have hosted the tournament thrice in 2013 (New Delhi) , 2016 (Luck Now) and 2021 (Bhubaneshwar).
- President of Hockey India: Dr. Dilip Tirkey.

Current Affairs 14^th June, 2024

Days

14^th June is observed as the World Blood Donor Day.
- Theme – 20 years of celebrating giving: thank you blood donors.
‘Raja Parba’ a.k.a Mithun Sankranti, a three day long festival of Odisha dedicated to ‘Basu-Mata’, the Earth Goddess for the joyous celebration of womanhood that coincides with the arrival of the monsoon season will be celebrated from June 14^th to 16^th.

Appointments

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has appointed Jyoti Vij as its new Director General.
- FICCI President – Anish Shah.
- HQ: New Delhi.

Obituaries

Former Football Coach, TK Chathunni has passed away at the age of 80 in Kerala.

Reports and Indices

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said that the number of people forcibly displaces stood at a record 116.3 million as of the end of the last year.
- These are refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced, people being forced away by conflict, by prosecution and various violence.
- The conflicts that have driven mass displacement: the War in Sudan, Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.

National News

18^th Mumbai International Film Festival, 2024:
- Scheduled to be held from June 15^th to 21^st June in Mumbai.
- National Geographic’s ‘Billy and Molly: An Otter Love Story’ is going to be the opening film at the 18^th MIFF.
- MIFF is recognized as the oldest and largest film festival for non-feature films (art of documentary, short fiction, and animation films) in South Asia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left for Italy as his 1^st foreign trip in the third tenure for attending the G7 Summit.
- It will be India’s 11^th participation in the G7 summit and PM Modi’s 5^th consecutive participation.
- G7Summit:
  - Intergovernmental organisation formed in 1975,
  - Member countries: UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the US.
The centre has approved the Uttarakhand Govt.’s proposal to rename Joshimath in Chamoli district as ‘Jyotirmath’ and ‘Kosiyakutoli tehsil’ in Nainital district as Pargana Shri Kainchi Dham.
- It is believed that the area was originally called Jyoytirmath after Adi Guru Shankaracharya visited it in the 8^th century to perform penance under the Amar Kalpa tree and attained enlightenment.
- It is one of the four cardinal math established by Adi Shankaracharya for Sanatana dharma propagation along with Sringeri, Dwarka and Puri.
India’s Aamras has stood out as the best dish made with mangoes according to the food guide TasteAtlas.
- Aamras – India – 1^st
- Mano Sticky Rice – Thailand – 2^nd
- Sortbetes – Philippines – 3^rd.

State News

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav has launched an intra-state sir service to promote tourism, named ‘PM Shri Paryatan Vayu Seva’.
- The first flight was flagged off from Bhopal to Jabalpur.
- It has been started on a PPP basis with a private firm named Jet Serv Aviation Private Limited (Flyola).
- Operated by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board (MPTB), two aircraft will connect eight cities across the state – Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, Rewa, Ujjain, Gwalior, Singrauli and Khajuraho.

Mizoram

In Mizoram, a two day sports conclave will be hosted with the theme ‘Vision 2036’, with an aim to hunt and nurture young talents so that more athletes and players from Mizoram could participate in the forthcoming Olympics 2036.
- India has the bid to host the 2036 Olympics.

Kerala

The 10^th Malabar River Festival (MRF) and the International White Water Kayaking Championship is going to be held in Kozhikode from July 25 to 38.

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu CM M.K. Stalin has inaugurated the ‘Chief Minister’s Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom’ scheme with a budget of Rs. 206 Crore, with an aim to improve the health and fertility of the soil across the area by using green manure methods.

Himachal Pradesh

The Himachal Pradesh Police, to ease congestion, has reintroduces the ‘One Minute Traffic Plan’ in the Shimla City.
- According to the plan, at points 6-8km from entering the Shimla city, traffic would be released every minute in the ratio of 40:20 or 30:30 seconds – that means vehicles would be halted for 40 seconds and released for 20 seconds every minute during rush and would be released and halted for 30 seconds during normal times.
- The police will also introduce portable traffic lights in the town in view of the increasing traffic.

Science and Tech

The scientists of Ahmedabad based Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) have discovered three new craters on Mars.
- The IAU (International Astronomical Union) has approved the naming of the three craters.
- One crater has been named ‘Lal; after Prof. Devendra Lal, one of the premier Indian geologist and a former director of the PRL.
- The second crater has been named ‘Mursan’ after a town in UP.
- And the third crater has been named ‘Hilsa’ after a town in Bihar.
- The geophysical evidence confirms that there is 45m thick sedimentary deposit in the crater ‘Lal’, giving proof to the fact that Mars was once wet and water has flown on the surface.

International News

Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman has been appointed as the new Army Chief of Bangladesh.
- Bangladesh:
  - Capital – Dhaka.
  - Currency – Taka.
Malawi Vice Presiden t Saulos Chilima has been killed in a plane crash in the Chikangawa mountain range killing ten people with him.
- Malawi:
  - Capital – Lilongwe
  - President – Lazarus Chakwera
  - Currency- Malawian kwacha
Delos, one of the most important sanctuaries of the ancient Greek and Roman world is at danger to be sunk in around 50 years into the Aegean sea due top climate change.
- Delos is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and according to mythology, the birthplace of Apollo. The sanctuary includes temples, altars dedicated to the god.
- Delos was a thriving commercial and trading hub. Its strategic location made it a key centre for trade routes in the Mediterranean sea.
India (11%) has become the world’s second largest emitter of Nitrous Oxide after China (16%), according to a global assessment of N2O emissions published in the journal Earth System Science Data. The major portion of it comes from fertilisers usage.

Current Affairs 15^th June, 2024

Days

15^th June is celebrated as the ‘World Wind Day’ since 2007 by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC).
15^th June is also observed as the ‘World Elder Abuse Awareness Day’ by the UN since 2011.
- Theme: Spotlight on Older Persons in Emergencies.

Appointments

The Government of India has reappointed Ajit Doval as the National Security advisor.
The Government has reappointed PK Mishra as the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Reports and Indices

Global Peace Index (GPI) 2024:
- Published by : Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)
- Number of countries covered: 163
- Most Peaceful country: Iceland > Ireland > Austria > New Zealand > Singapore.
- Least peaceful country: Yemen < Sudan < South Sudan < Afghanistan < Ukraine.
- India’s rank: 116^th
- Key findings:
  - The average degree of global peacefulness fell by 0.56% in 2024.
  - With the decline of 97 countries, this is the most number of countries to get deteriorated in a single year.
  - Europe is the most tranquil region.
  - Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is the least tranquil region.
  - North America experienced the greatest regional decline due to violence and perceptions of criminality in USA and Canada.

National News

With training a total of 4300 delivery partners at a single site, Zomato has set the Guiness World Record for the “largest first aid lesson at a single venue”.
- Founder, MD & CEO of Zomato : Deepinder Goyal.
All India Ayush Survey (July 2022 – June 2023):
- Released by : Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
- Ayush refers to the six Indian system of medicines: Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Sidda, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy – prevalent in the country.
- Findings:
  - About 46% of rural and 53% of urban individuals availed of Ayush for the prevention or treatment of ailments in the past year.
  - 95% of the Rural and 96% of the Urban population is aware of Ayush.
  - 79% and 80% of the households in rural and urban India have at least one member aware of medicinal plants and home medicines.

State News

Assam

The state Government of Assam has launched the ‘Nijut Moina Scheme’ to boost girls’ education and prevent child marriages.
- Under the scheme, the govt. will provide monthly stipends to all girl students from class 11 to post-graduation over the next five years.
- Except those enrolled in PG courses, a marriage girl will not get the benefit.
- Except for the daughters of the Ministers, MPs and MLAs, and those students studying in private colleges, all girls irrespective of their financial background will be included in the scheme.
- During the summer vacation, no stipend will be given and the stipend will be credited once in every 10 month per year.

Madhya Pradesh

In an effort to generate greater revenue and employment opportunities, Madhya Pradesh has become the 7^th state in India to allow all shops and commercial establishments in the state to stay open 24 hours.
- Earlier Maharshtra, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Telangana had adopted such a policy.

Punjab

The Punjab Police in association with the BSF and the Village Defence Committees (VDC) will carry out a one-week drive against drugs named as ‘Mission Nischay’ in Fazilka District, along the Pakistan border to gather actionable intelligence about the demand and supply of drugs.
- Of the 553 km long Punjab border with Pakistan, 108 km is in the Fazilka district.

Defence

Indian Army has received the first batch of the man-portable suicide drones named ‘Nagastra-1’.
- Nagastra:
  - These are drones capable of accurately striking enemy training camps, launch pads and infiltrators, hence minimizing risk to the soldiers. It will enhance the capability of the Indian army to execute shallow strike across the border when necessary.
  - These indigenous high-tech drones are designed and developed completely in India by Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), Nagpur.
  - Drones like Nagastra-1 with in-built warheads are known as Kamikaze or Exploding drones.

Sports

Shruti Vora has scripted History by becoming the first Indian rider to win 3-star Grand Prix Equestrian Event at the FEI (International Equestrian Federation) Dressage World Cup held in Lipica, Slovenia.
Divya Deshmukh has won the World Junior girls’ chess championship after beating Bulgaria in the final round at the Gift city club.
ICC Players of the Month:
- Men’s: Gudakesh Motie (West Indies spinner)
- Women’s: Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka Skipper).

Post Views: 406