Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
A project by IIIT-Delhi won joint second prize in the Trinity Challenge’s second competition for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Trinity Challenge (TTC) is a charity fostering data-driven solutions to global health threats, partnering with over 40 organizations. Launched in response to COVID-19, TTC funds public challenges to enhance pandemic preparedness, awarding £5.7 million for innovative health solutions.

Notes:
Assam’s wildlife officials reported the first recording of the striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) in Kaziranga National Park during a recent herpetofauna survey. Caecilians are elongated, limbless amphibians in the order Gymnophiona, resembling earthworms or snakes. Named “Caecilian” meaning “blind,” they inhabit moist tropical and subtropical regions, mainly burrowing underground. There are about 200 known species, mostly found in forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

Notes:
Telugu Desam Party’s Narsipatnam MLA, C. Ayyanna Patrudu, was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 16th Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly on June 22, 2024. His election was unopposed as no other MLA filed a nomination for the Speaker’s post.

Notes:
A Pakistani delegation recently arrived in Jammu to discuss the 1960 Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with India. Signed by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President Ayub Khan, and brokered by the World Bank, the treaty regulates the distribution of the Indus River system’s waters. India received waters from the Beas, Ravi, and Sutlej rivers, while Pakistan received waters from the Chenab, Indus, and Jhelum rivers. The Permanent Indus Commission oversees the treaty’s implementation.

Notes:
Tamluk, located in West Bengal, was a significant ancient city known as Tamralipta or Tamralipti. It served as the capital of the Suhma kingdom and later the Pala Empire during the 7th to 9th centuries CE. Excavations have revealed remnants of the ancient town Chandraketugarh. Today, Tamluk is renowned for its production and export of paan (betel leaf), shedding light on its historical trade importance in Indian kingdoms.

Notes:
The United States has designated Kenya as a major non-NATO ally (MNNA), offering benefits in defense trade and security cooperation. President Biden pledged this status during Kenyan President William Ruto’s recent US visit. The MNNA designation, a symbol of close US relations, provides military and economic privileges without security commitments. This status enhances Kenya’s defense and security partnership with the US.

Notes:
Paraguay has become the 100th full member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) by officially handing over its Instrument of Ratification in New Delhi. The ISA, co-founded by India and France during the 2015 COP21, promotes global solar energy deployment. The alliance now has 119 signatories, with 100 ratified members. The ISA aims to implement the Paris Climate Agreement through extensive solar energy adoption.

Notes:
NASA recently observed gigantic jets over the Himalayan Mountains. These rare and powerful lightning phenomena extend from the top of a cloud to the edge of space, differing from regular cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. Documented only in the 21st century, the bottoms of gigantic jets resemble blue jets, while the tops look like red sprites. This discovery adds to our understanding of atmospheric phenomena.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu government plans to build a high-level bridge to protect the Pallikaranai Marshland, a freshwater and saline wetland 20 km south of Chennai. As one of Chennai’s last natural wetlands, it serves as an aquatic buffer, draining 250 sq.km through Okkiyam Madavu and Kovalam Creek into the Bay of Bengal. A Ramsar site, it supports diverse species including 115 bird species, Russell’s viper, and the glossy ibis.

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.