Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
South America’s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland spanning Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay, faces severe wildfires. This UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve is crucial for its biodiversity, including jaguars and caimans. With less than 5% protected, threats like cattle grazing and pollution from waste and pesticides endanger its ecosystem.

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Cyclone Ilsa, a category 5 cyclone, recently devastated Bedout Island, Australia, wiping out 80-90% of its seabird population, including Masked Boobies, Brown Boobies, and Lesser Frigatebirds. Seabirds, which live and feed in ocean environments, are vital for island and reef health. They connect marine and terrestrial ecosystems by transporting marine nutrients to land through guano and other means.

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The UNDP’s “Untapped Collective Intelligence for Climate Action” report highlights the potential of Collective Intelligence (CI) in climate adaptation and mitigation. CI enhances capabilities by combining diverse contributions through collaboration and technology. It bridges gaps in data by mobilizing citizens for real-time information, in action by involving more people, and in diversity by including varied perspectives, such as those of Indigenous communities, in climate processes and data collection.

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The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) celebrated Global Wind Day on June 15, 2024, highlighting India’s wind energy achievements and future potential. With the theme “Pawan–Urja: Powering the Future of India,” the event featured discussions on wind energy’s role in meeting power demand, accelerating onshore adoption, and offshore development. India, with 46.4 GW of installed wind power capacity, aims to achieve 50% non-fossil fuel-based power by 2030 and net zero by 2070.

Notes:
Thailand became the first Southeast Asian country to recognize same-sex marriage. Despite its inclusive reputation, Thailand faced decades of challenges passing this law due to conservative societal and governmental values. The bill grants full legal, financial, and medical rights to marriage partners of any gender. It awaits formal endorsement by King Maha Vajiralongkorn and will become effective within 120 days.

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Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India’s Gopalpur centre discovered a new snake eel species, ‘Ophichthus Suryai,’ in Odisha. This species differs from its congeners by the dorsal fin origin near the gill opening, unique vertebral count, and multiple rows of teeth on both jaws. Snake eels, marine fishes of the Ophichthidae family, inhabit warm, tropical waters, often hiding at the sea bottom, and can grow up to 10 feet.

Notes:
India’s Truenat TB diagnostics, developed by Molbio, impressed at the World Health Assembly. Launched in 2017, it’s a portable micro-PCR system for rapid diagnosis of TB types, including drug-resistant strains. Delivering results in under an hour, it’s deployed widely across India, aiding early treatment critical in a country with high TB mortality. India, comprising 27% of global TB cases, benefits from over 7,000 health centers using Truenat under its National TB Elimination Programme.

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World Refugee Day is celebrated annually on June 20 to raise awareness about refugees’ plight and promote their inclusion. The 2024 theme is “For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed.” Established in 2001 to mark the 1951 Refugee Convention’s 50th anniversary, it underscores international cooperation. Refugees flee due to conflict, persecution, and violence, highlighting the need for global solidarity and lasting solutions to the refugee crisis.

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UK police arrested two people, including an Indian-origin man, for spraying an orange substance on Stonehenge, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in England. Stonehenge, located in Wiltshire, is a prehistoric monument with about 100 massive stones arranged in a circle, built in stages around 2500 BC. Likely a religious site aligned with the Sun, it’s part of a larger sacred landscape with numerous ancient structures and burial mounds.

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At the 112th International Labour Conference in Geneva, India’s delegation, led by the Secretary of the Ministry of Labour & Employment, highlighted the e-Shram portal. Launched in 2021, the portal registers unorganized workers across 400 occupations, providing a comprehensive national database. Fully Aadhaar-verified, it aims to facilitate access to social security schemes. The e-Shram portal integrates with the National Career Service, Skill India Digital Hub, myScheme portal, and Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhaan scheme.