Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
India’s Ministry of Coal launched the country’s inaugural Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) pilot project at the Kasta coal block in Jharkhand’s Jamtara District. Led by Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL), the initiative seeks to transform coal into methane, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and dioxide through in-situ gasification. These gases have broad industrial uses, including synthetic natural gas production, fuel and fertilizer synthesis, and explosives manufacturing, aiming to revolutionize India’s coal industry with sustainable applications.

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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:
Russia has approved a draft logistics agreement with India, advancing military cooperation under the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistics Agreement (RELOS). This agreement aims to streamline logistics support for joint military operations, providing facilities for troops, warships, and aircraft during peacetime and wartime missions. It enhances India’s maritime influence, supports Arctic research collaboration, and helps balance logistics agreements with Quad countries, countering regional influences from the US and China.

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The Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao initiative under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0 from July 1 to August 31. It aims to prepare Urban Local Bodies for monsoon challenges, focusing on cleanliness and health. Aligning with the Health Ministry’s ‘STOP Diarrhoea Campaign,’ it promotes inter-departmental collaboration to address cleanliness and disease risks during heavy rainfall.

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Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have gained new insights into planet formation around binary star systems, where two stars orbit a common center of mass. ALMA, with 66 antennas in Chile’s Atacama Desert, studies celestial objects at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths, penetrating dust clouds to observe distant galaxies and stars. Operated by an international partnership, ALMA detects faint radio signals with extraordinary sensitivity.

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IIT Madras and the University of Leeds have partnered to establish the Joint Virtual Centre of Excellence on Sustainable Development (VCoE-SD). This MoU aims to foster impactful research and innovation towards achieving sustainable development goals. The collaboration will enhance academic exchange through joint projects, courses, and conferences, creating a network of high-quality staff to drive sustainable solutions globally, as highlighted by Prof. Vasilis Sarhosis from the University of Leeds.

Notes:
A mainland serow, a mammal between a goat and an antelope, was sighted at 96 meters above sea level in Raimona National Park, Assam, near human habitation. Documented by a team of scientists, this finding was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The serow, usually found at 200-3,000 meters in the India-Bhutan border region, highlights biodiversity conservation efforts in the park, previously affected by poaching and logging.

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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:
Intensive animal agriculture, or factory farming, raises livestock and poultry in dense facilities to boost dairy output cost-effectively. Concerns include antibiotic resistance in 53% of Indian egg samples, zoonotic diseases originating from animals (60% known, 75% emerging), and significant environmental impact (14.5%-16.5% of global greenhouse gases). Diets rich in animal products also heighten risks of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Notes:
India participated in the CLGF Annual Board meeting in Sri Lanka, focusing on “Reinforcing Social Resilience through Women’s Political Representation.” CLGF, headquartered in London since 1995, unites local governments and ministries across 56 Commonwealth nations, including India. It advocates for gender equality in local governance to support women’s active participation in public life, aligning with SDG 5 goals.