Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
India has been placed in the “regular follow-up category” by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) after its plenary meeting in Singapore from June 26-28, 2024. The meeting evaluated 17 countries on anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism financing, and anti-proliferation compliance. India, Russia, France, Italy, and the UK were kept in the regular follow-up, while one country was grey-listed. The FATF commended India’s efforts but urged quicker prosecution in such cases.

Notes:
A new Android malware called ‘Snowblind’ targets users to steal banking credentials by bypassing anti-tamper mechanisms using the ‘seccomp’ security feature. Snowblind repacks apps to avoid detection and utilizes accessibility services to remotely view screens, disabling biometric and two-factor authentication. It primarily infects devices via apps from untrusted sources and is most active in Southeast Asia, posing a significant threat to banking app security.

Notes:
Indian Naval Ship INS Ranvir, a Rajput Class Guided Missile Destroyer, arrived in Chattogram, Bangladesh for an Operational Deployment. Commissioned in 1986, the upgraded ship features state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and sensors. The visit includes professional interactions, community outreach, and sports with Bangladeshi naval personnel. INS Ranvir will also participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise. This visit enhances India-Bangladesh friendship, cooperation, and regional security, aligned with India’s SAGAR initiative.

Notes:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Government of Haryana and the National Forensic Science University (NFSU), Gandhinagar, in Panchkula. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Union Minister Manohar Lal, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh attended. This collaboration aims to enhance Haryana’s criminal justice system by leveraging NFSU’s expertise. Forensic teams will visit for serious offences, increasing the demand for forensic experts.

Notes:
Former world chess champion Viswanathan Anand of India won the Leon Masters chess championship for the 10th time by defeating Jaime Santos Latasa of Spain 3-1 in the final on June 30, 2024, in Leon, Spain. Anand, a five-time world champion, has previously won the tournament in 1996, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2011, and 2016. The Leon Masters features four players, including Arjun Erigaisi and Veselin Topalov.

Notes:
Researchers in France discovered zinc’s crucial role in legume crop health. Zinc, a silvery blue-grey metal, is the fourth most widely used globally after steel, aluminum, and copper. In India, Rajasthan holds the largest lead-zinc ore reserves. Australia leads in global zinc reserves, followed by China and Russia. Zinc is essential for galvanizing steel due to its corrosion resistance and is used in die-castings and zinc oxide production for paints and rubber.

Notes:
A stampede at a religious gathering in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh has resulted in over 100 deaths. Past incidents include the Kalkaji temple platform collapse and the 2022 Vaishno Devi stampede. Stampedes occur when orderly crowd movement is disrupted, leading to injuries and fatalities. Causes include poor event management, excessive crowd density, and natural disasters like sudden heavy rain, floods, or earthquakes.

Notes:
Senior IAS officer Manoj Kumar Singh, a 1988-batch officer, has become the chief secretary of Uttar Pradesh, succeeding Durga Shankar Mishra. Singh previously held roles as the agriculture production commissioner, infrastructure and industrial development commissioner, and additional chief secretary of the Panchayati Raj department in Uttar Pradesh.

Notes:
The Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $170 million loan to enhance India’s health system for future pandemics. Key signatories were Ms. Juhi Mukherjee and Ms. Mio Oka. The “Strengthened and Measurable Actions for Resilient and Transformative Health Systems Programme” aims to improve disease surveillance, human resources for health, and climate-resilient public health infrastructure, supporting initiatives like the National Health Policy 2017 and PM-ABHIM.

Notes:
India participated in the 86th session of the Executive Committee of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) from July 1-5, 2024, in Rome. Represented by FSSAI CEO Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao, India supported standards for spices, vegetable oils, and food safety. Key initiatives included guidelines for controlling Shiga Toxin-Producing E. coli, safe water use in food processing, and recycled materials in food packaging. India’s active role underscores its commitment to global food safety standards and fair trade practices. The CAC, established by FAO and WHO in 1963, has 189 members, including India since 1964.