Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) inaugurated the first National Additive Manufacturing Symposium (NAMS) 2024, emphasizing India’s commitment to advanced manufacturing. MeitY Secretary S Krishnan released an Additive Manufacturing Landscape Report and unveiled an indigenous AM machine. The symposium highlighted India’s AM ecosystem, building on the 2022 National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing. Diverse stakeholders, including industry leaders and government representatives, participated, underscoring a collaborative approach to advancing AM technologies in India.

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:
According to a UNCTAD report, foreign direct investment (FDI) to India dropped by 43% in 2023, falling from 49 billion in 2022 to 28 billion. Globally, FDI declined by 2%. India, China, France, Australia, and the USA saw reduced FDI inflows. India’s global FDI recipient rank fell from 8th to 15th in 2023 but remained in the top five for attracting greenfield projects and international project finance deals.

Notes:
A new plant species, Didymocarpus janakiae, was discovered in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district at 2,300 meters elevation. Named in honor of pioneering Indian botanist E. K. Janaki Ammal, this species belongs to the Didymocarpus genus, part of the African Violet family (Gesneriaceae). Found in pristine habitats, it highlights ecosystem quality. The genus comprises 111 species, 27 of which are in India, including D. janakiae.

Notes:
Ladakh is the first administrative unit to achieve full functional literacy under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saaksharta Karyakram. Announced by Lieutenant Governor Dr. BD Mishra, this milestone surpasses 97% literacy. The program, aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, empowers adults with literacy, numeracy, and life skills through volunteerism. Over 77 lakh people nationwide have benefited, with 1.29 crore learners and 35 lakh volunteer teachers engaged via the ULLAS Mobile App.

Notes:
Recently, the 350th contract under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) was signed with SpacePixxel Technologies Pvt Ltd for a miniaturized satellite. iDEX, a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Defence, promotes self-reliance and innovation in Defence and Aerospace by engaging MSMEs, start-ups, and R&D institutes. Managed by the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO), it supports innovators through financial aid and technical guidance. iDEX has launched 11 Defence India Start-up Challenges and the ADITI scheme.

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:
A new spider species, Steriphopus wangala, was discovered in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills. Named after the Garo community’s Wangala harvest festival, this spider belongs to the Palp-Footed Spider family and has reddish-brown coloring. The Wangala festival, or 100 Drums Festival, marks the end of the agricultural season, featuring rhythmic drumming and dances to thank deities and celebrate the harvest, signifying winter’s onset.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently completed six successful trials of the High Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) ‘ABHYAS’ in Chandipur, Odisha. Designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro, ABHYAS provides realistic threat scenarios for weapon systems practice. It features autonomous flying, a laptop-based Ground Control System, and data recording capabilities for post-flight analysis.

Notes:
Finland is the first country to offer preemptive bird flu vaccinations to specific workers exposed to animals. Vaccines will target workers at fur and poultry farms, lab technicians, veterinarians, and those in bird sanctuaries and animal by-product plants, aged 18 and over. Finland secured vaccines for 10,000 people through an EU procurement of 40 million doses from CSL Seqirus. Vaccinations start next week, following past bird flu outbreaks in fur farms.