Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
INS Sunayna, a Saryu-class Offshore Patrol Vessel commissioned in Kochi and based under the Southern Naval Command, visited Port Victoria, Seychelles on June 15, 2024. This visit, alongside SCGS Zoroaster, aims to enhance cooperation between the Indian Navy and Seychelles Coast Guard under the SAGAR vision. Built at Goa Shipyard Limited, INS Sunayna supports fleet operations, coastal patrols, ocean surveillance, and can reach speeds of 25 knots.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has granted India a significant loan of USD 170 million (approximately Rs 1,418 crore) to enhance its healthcare system’s readiness and response capabilities for future pandemics. Aligned with India’s National Health Policy 2017, the policy-based loan aims to improve governance and policy frameworks essential for achieving universal healthcare coverage. Key initiatives include strengthening disease surveillance networks nationwide through interconnected laboratories, enabling quicker responses to infectious disease threats across cities, states, and union territories.

Notes:
Scientists are using remote sensing and AI to find a female Encephalartos woodii in Ngoye Forest, South Africa. This cycad, a “living fossil” from the Carboniferous period, has thick trunks and stiff leaves. Cycads, gymnosperms like conifers, reproduce via insect-pollinated cones. Despite their ancient lineage, cycads are highly endangered due to slow growth, habitat loss, and illegal trade. The search aims to preserve this rare species.

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The UN has introduced ‘Global Principles’ to combat online misinformation amid rising concerns about digital platforms’ role in spreading falsehoods. Technologies like AI escalate misinformation’s volume, velocity, and virality, impacting global stability. The principles aim to safeguard information integrity by promoting transparency, privacy, and responsible content practices among stakeholders. Recommendations include integrating safety measures in tech design, promoting transparency in news media, and enhancing political transparency and access to information.

Notes:
Local residents in Dehradun rallied to save 2,000 Sal trees in Khalanga Reserve Forest, prompting the state government to relocate a planned drinking water plant due to public outcry. Environmental activists and locals protested against the felling of trees for the Song Dam drinking water project. Social media campaigns and symbolic acts like tying Raksha-Sutras to trees were employed. The project aims to supply drinking water to 60 wards in Dehradun, costing an estimated Rs. 3,000 crores.

Notes:
On June 25, the Madhya Pradesh cabinet decided that state ministers must pay their own income tax, reversing a 1972 rule where the state government covered these taxes. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced the decision, emphasizing the end of the state’s financial responsibility for ministers’ income tax on salaries and perks.

Notes:
Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh, known as the “City of Knives,” has crafted the renowned Rampuri chaku since the 18th century. These blades, symbols of artisanship and royal patronage, are made from high-quality steel, paired with handles of bone, horn, or ivory, intricately carved into pieces of art. Despite a 1990s ban on longer blades to reduce violence, Rampur artisans adapt legally, preserving their craft’s legacy. This resilience highlights Rampur’s cultural heritage and commitment to craftsmanship.

Notes:
India, the largest remittance recipient globally, is expected to receive 124 billion in inward remittances in 2024 and 129 billion in 2025. In 2023, India received $120 billion, marking a 7.5% growth rate, projected to be 3.7% in 2024. The World Bank’s June 2024 Migration and Development Brief highlights these trends, noting India as the leading emigrant origin country with 18.7 million emigrants.

Notes:
The annual conference on MND ‘Awareness, Care, and Management’ at Nimhans, Bengaluru, highlighted the importance of symptomatic and supportive treatments. Motor Neuron Diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurological disorders affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, slurred speech, and paralysis, typically after age 50. Causes are mostly unknown, though some cases are genetic. MND affects more males than females.

Notes:
The Dubai Art Centre hosted the “Hunar” exhibition, showcasing India’s rich folk and tribal art heritage. Organized by Videsha Pandey, the exhibition features diverse works including a Ramayana painting, Aipan art from Uttarakhand, Madhubani art from Bihar, Warli art from Maharashtra, and Muria art from Chhattisgarh. The exhibition aims to highlight India’s cultural diversity and underrepresented art forms, offering visitors an immersive experience of India’s artistic traditions.