Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
The Ministries of Health and Defence signed an MoU to establish a dedicated Tele Manas Cell for the Armed Forces, providing specialized mental health support. This initiative adds to the 51 existing Tele Manas cells operating across all States and Union Territories, enhancing mental health services for military personnel nationwide.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Nine trekkers from Karnataka tragically lost their lives near Sahastra Tal in Uttarakhand, part of a 22-member group, due to bad weather while returning from the trek. The state government is coordinating rescue efforts, and families of the deceased are notified. Sahastra Tal Trek, a high-altitude trail at 15,000 feet in Uttarkashi district, is flanked by Bhagirathi and Bhilangana Valleys, with the Kush Kalyan Plateau north. Locals perform annual rituals around the lake for auspiciousness.

Notes:
The GTRI released the “Building Better: India’s Path to Superior Quality Infrastructure” report, highlighting how India can enhance its quality infrastructure. Key components include Standardization, Quality Control Orders (QCOs), and Compulsory Registration Orders (CROs) led by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). The BIS Act 2016 simplified notifying standards, leading to over 140 QCOs for 550+ products. Despite rapid QCO issuance, implementation challenges persist for firms, importers, and agencies.

Notes:
Slogans advocating Khalistan were raised at the Golden Temple during the 40th anniversary of Operation Bluestar. This military action, ordered by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in June 1984, aimed to remove Sikh separatists led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from the temple. The operation, marked by intense fighting, caused extensive damage to the temple complex and resulted in civilian casualties. It ultimately led to Indira Gandhi’s assassination and remains a contentious event in Sikh history.

Notes:
Magnus Carlsen won the Norway Chess 2024 crown for the sixth time, securing victory in an Armageddon tie-breaker against Fabiano Caruana. Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa finished third, three points behind Carlsen, after defeating Hikaru Nakamura in the final round. In the women’s section, India’s R Vaishali placed fourth, and GM Koneru Humpy finished fifth. The tournament, held in Stavanger, featured several thrilling games in the final round.

Notes:
The Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in New Caledonia urged French President Emmanuel Macron to drop the electoral reform plan. New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific, was colonized in 1853. The Kanaks, native to the island, became a minority due to French migration, leading to an independence movement. Despite referendums favoring French control, tensions persist. The island is strategically significant for France, rich in natural resources like nickel.

Notes:
Peru and Slovakia became the most recent countries to sign the Artemis Accords, bringing the total number of signatory nations to 42. The Artemis Accords are a set of non-binding principles that outline a framework for peaceful cooperation in space and on the moon. They are based on the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 and are intended to guide civil space exploration and use in the 21st century. The accords reinforce the commitment of signatory nations to best practices and norms of responsible behavior, such as the public release of scientific data.

Notes:
Scientists in the UK have developed non-invasive techniques and novel analysis methods to track disease progression and evaluate treatments for Huntington’s disease (HD). HD, an inherited disorder caused by a mutation in the HTT gene, leads to the breakdown of nerve cells in the brain, affecting movement, cognition, and psychiatric health. It manifests primarily in adulthood but can also begin in childhood. Increased genetic repetitions worsen the disease’s severity.

Notes:
N. Chandrababu Naidu, TDP national president, was sworn in as Chief Minister of residual Andhra Pradesh for the second time on June 12 by Governor S. Abdul Nazeer. The ceremony took place at Kesarapalle near Vijayawada. This marks Naidu’s fourth term as Chief Minister in his over four-decade political career, having served twice in combined Andhra Pradesh and now twice in residual Andhra Pradesh.