Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched two initiatives: Virtual NQAS Assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) and Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL), ensuring compliance with Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). The Spot Food License Initiative uses the Food safety and compliance system (FoSCoS) platform for instant licensing and registration across India, aiming to streamline processes. These initiatives support “Healthcare for All” by enhancing real-time monitoring of health facilities and simplifying food safety compliance.

Notes:
The Meghalaya Lokayukta has notified former officials of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) over alleged irregularities in implementing the Saubhagya scheme. Launched in October 2017, Saubhagya aims for universal household electrification nationwide, providing free LED bulbs and essential electrical items to BPL families. It emphasizes last-mile connectivity in rural areas and Solar Photovoltaic systems for remote villages. Urban connections target economically poor households, excluding non-poor urban dwellings from benefits.

Notes:
The World Bank approved $1.5 billion to support India’s low-carbon energy development. The funding will boost green hydrogen, electrolysers, and renewable energy. This aligns with India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and energy goals: achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2070.

Notes:
NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter captured an epic view of Olympus Mons, the largest volcano in the solar system. Launched in 2001, Odyssey’s mission includes mapping Mars’ surface and serving as a communication relay. Olympus Mons, a shield volcano, is 24 kilometers high and 550 kilometers wide, dwarfing Earth’s Mauna Loa. Odyssey holds the record for the longest active mission around another planet, scheduled to last until 2025.

Notes:
The private Chinese rocket Tianlong-3 crashed after accidental launches during a test run. Developed by Beijing Tianbing (Space Pioneer), Tianlong-3 is a medium-lift orbital launch vehicle, partially reusable up to ten times, with the first stage capable of autonomous vertical landing. It can launch medium-sized payloads to low Earth orbit (LEO) and sun-synchronous orbit (SSO), and its performance is comparable to SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

Notes:
Bhupinder Singh Rawat, a former Indian footballer known for his speed as a winger in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away at 85. He represented India in the 1969 Merdeka tournament in Malaysia and played domestically for Delhi Garrison, Gorkha Brigade, and Mafatlal. Rawat also featured for Services and Maharashtra in the National Football Championship for the Santosh Trophy.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Dick Schoof on becoming the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands and expressed eagerness to strengthen India-Netherlands relations. Schoof, 67, a former head of the Dutch Secret Service, was sworn in by King Willem-Alexander. He succeeds Mark Rutte, who will become NATO’s next secretary-general. The new government formation followed seven months of negotiations after far-right leader Geert Wilders’ electoral victory.

Notes:
After several decades, the locally extinct Indian gaur has been spotted in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR) in Andhra Pradesh. Known as the largest and tallest wild cattle, the gaur (Bos gaurus) is native to South and Southeast Asia. They inhabit evergreen and semi-evergreen forests, and moist deciduous forests with open grasslands, preferring hilly terrains below 1,500-1,800 meters with large, undisturbed forest tracts and abundant water.

Notes:
The ‘Jaiva Gramam’ campaign launched in Karumalloor, Kerala, aims to promote organic farming. Supported by the local panchayat and Lions Club, it encourages households to grow vegetables for Onam. Participants receive subsidies for saplings, fertilizers, and tools, and learn from experienced farmers. The initiative aims for sustainable agricultural growth, self-sufficiency in vegetable production, and preserving Kerala’s farming heritage to boost farmers’ economic prospects.

Notes:
Sir Keir Starmer has been appointed as the UK’s 58th Prime Minister by King Charles III on 5 July 2024. His Labour Party won a landslide victory, securing 412 out of 650 House of Commons seats. He replaces Conservative leader Rishi Sunak, whose party won only 119 seats. Starmer will reside at 10 Downing Street, the official residence of the UK Prime Minister.