Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
China’s space agency announced the successful landing of the uncrewed Chang’e-6 spacecraft on the moon’s far side on June 2, 2024. Landing in the South Pole-Aitken Basin, it marks the first human sampling and return mission from this region. Launched 53 days earlier from Hainan, the mission includes an orbiter, returner, lander, and ascender. The lander, equipped with advanced sensors, will collect lunar samples using drilling and robotic arm methods within two days.

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The Department of School Education and the National Book Trust signed an MoU in New Delhi to create the Rashtriya e-Pustakalaya, a 24/7 Digital Library Platform. Secretary K. Sanjay Murthy highlighted its potential to enhance book accessibility and address library reach issues in many states. He anticipates that in 2-3 years, the platform will feature over 10,000 books in more than 100 languages.

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India participated in the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. The WSIS+20 Forum commemorates 20 years since the WSIS, held in Geneva (2003) and Tunis (2005), and is co-organized by ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, and UNCTAD. Its aim is to address information and communication technology issues through a multi-stakeholder approach, fostering a people-centric, inclusive, and development-oriented Information Society.

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The National Level Coordination Committee (NLCC) convened its inaugural meeting at the Ministry of Cooperation, New Delhi, to discuss the world’s largest grain storage plan. This initiative aims to bolster agricultural infrastructure at grassroots levels through the establishment of warehouses, processing units, and Fair Price Shops in Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS). It integrates various government schemes and is implemented by agencies like NCDC, NABARD, FCI, and CWC in collaboration with concerned States/UTs.

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Hundreds sheltered in evacuation centers after Mount Kanlaon erupted in the central Philippines. Mount Kanlaon, a 2435m stratovolcano on Negros Island, is the highest mountain on the island and part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Known for its pyroclastic cones and craters, the biologically diverse volcano has erupted multiple times since 1886, with phreatic explosions causing minor ashfalls. It influences major river systems on Negros Island.

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Amid public outrage over the Gaza conflict, Maldives has banned Israeli passport holders’ entry into the country. The decision contrasts with diplomatic relations restored in 2010 after lifting a ban in the early 1990s. This move reflects Maldives’ stance on the conflict and underscores tensions in the region.

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Researchers have identified a protein, Neo, in Klebsiella pneumoniae that counters bacteriophage infections by halting replication. Neo is produced via a process involving Reverse Transcriptase (RTs) and non-coding RNA. RTs are enzymes that synthesize DNA from RNA templates, crucial for retroviruses like HIV. This discovery showcases RT’s diverse role in bacterial defense and hints at its potential in biotechnology and medicine, particularly in combating antimicrobial resistance.

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The world’s largest optical astronomy digital camera will be placed on the edge of Chile’s Atacama Desert, renowned for its dryness and clear skies. Mounted on the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Simonyi Survey Telescope, it weighs three tonnes and boasts a 3.2-gigapixel resolution. This initiative aims to study dark energy, dark matter, potential Earth impacts, and close celestial bodies. The observatory anticipates generating 20 terabytes of daily data, forming a 15-petabyte catalog over its ten-year survey.

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The Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army marked World Environment Day with “Go Green Initiatives” in North Bengal and Sikkim, including the launch of a plastic waste management plant in East Sikkim. Part of the Sadbhavana initiative, the project aims to promote sustainability and local economic development by recycling plastic waste into road materials and bricks. This effort creates jobs for villagers and aligns with the Army’s commitment to environmental sustainability, aiming to eliminate landfills by 2027.

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The European Commission excluded Tanzania from its 18 million Euro conservation grant under the NaturAfrica initiative. NaturAfrica, an EU program, focuses on biodiversity conservation in Africa by creating jobs, improving security, and promoting sustainable livelihoods. It targets key landscapes with short-term actions and addresses biodiversity loss through medium-term strategies. The European Commission, the EU’s executive body, comprises 27 Commissioners and is led by a President elected by the European Parliament.