Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
The 12th Plenary Assembly of the Global Soil Partnership (GSP) was hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) from June 3–5, 2024. The assembly included over 700 partners and FAO members. The GSP is a globally recognized mechanism that promotes sustainable soil management and has implemented programs around the world. The assembly is a key platform for GSP partners and FAO members to exchange knowledge and expertise and make important decisions about the global soil agenda.

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The US tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base. The Minuteman III, deployed in the 1960s, is the sole land-based component of the US nuclear triad, designed by Boeing. Despite initial plans for a ten-year service, it will be used until the GBSD is available in 2029. The three-stage, solid-fuel missile, with a 13,000 km range, currently carries a single nuclear warhead, ensuring fast launch and high reliability.

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Thismia malayana, a newly discovered mycoheterotrophic plant in Peninsular Malaysia’s rainforests, steals nutrients from underground fungi instead of performing photosynthesis. It thrives in low-light forest understories, with specialized flowers pollinated by fungus gnats. Typically 2 cm long, it grows near tree roots or rotten logs and is highly sensitive to environmental changes, earning a Vulnerable status on the IUCN Red List.

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The “Air of the Anthropocene” project visualizes air pollution in India, Ethiopia, and the UK using light painting, highlighting severe health risks and sparking global discussions on air quality. This initiative combines art and science to produce photographic evidence of air pollution. Particulate matter (PM), a key pollutant, is linked to severe health issues and causes approximately 7 million premature deaths annually, with 99% of the global population affected.

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The Prime Minister of Nepal marked the completion of the final blast of the Head Race Tunnel for the Arun-3 Hydro Electric Project. This 900 MW run-of-the-river hydropower initiative, situated on the Arun River in Eastern Nepal, utilizes flowing water for electricity generation without a large dam. Developed by SJVN Arun-III Power Development Company, a subsidiary of India’s Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, it operates on a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer basis, benefitting both countries.

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The 3rd Indian Analytical Congress (IAC) was launched at CSIR-IIP in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Organized jointly by CSIR-IIP and ISAS-Delhi Chapter, the three-day conference focuses on “Role of Science and Technology in Green Transitions.” It serves as a platform for industry, academia, scientists, and technologists to discuss prevalent and upcoming solutions in Analytical Sciences. The event features technical sessions with talks by eminent speakers, presentations, and special sessions.

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Singapore hosted the first Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Clean Economy Investor Forum on June 5-6, 2024, alongside the IPEF Ministerial meeting. Led by Indian Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal, the forum aimed to mobilize investments in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and climate technology. The IPEF Catalytic Capital Fund, with contributions from Australia, Japan, Korea, the US, and Infrastructure Development Group, was launched, committing USD 33 million.

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The Union Cabinet Secretary chaired a National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meeting to review preparedness for heat waves and forest fires. NCMC, a key national-level decision-making body for disaster management, coordinates relief efforts, provides support to state governments, and ensures preventive measures. Chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, it includes Secretaries from relevant ministries and agencies.

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Pakistan, Somalia, Denmark, Greece, and Panama were elected as non-permanent members of the UNSC for a two-year term via secret ballot, requiring two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly. Pakistan marks its 8th term. The 1963 UN Charter amendment increased non-permanent members from 6 to 10 and required 9 affirmative votes for resolutions. Geographic representation includes 5 African/Asian, 1 Eastern European, 2 Latin American, and 2 Western European/other states.

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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.