Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
Devotees nationwide are gathering at Assam’s Kamakhya Temple in Guwahati for the annual Ambubachi Mela. The Kamakhya Temple, one of India’s 51 Shaktipeeths, is located atop Nilachal Hills and is dedicated to Goddess Kamakhya, a form of Goddess Parvati. The Ambubachi Mela celebrates the goddess’s annual menstruation. The temple’s architecture uniquely combines the traditional Nagara and Mughal styles, known as the Nilachala Style.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
Since February, the African Swine Fever (ASF) outbreak in Mizoram has killed over 3,350 pigs. ASF is a highly contagious viral disease with a 100% mortality rate in pigs. Symptoms include fever, weakness, and diarrhea. The virus spreads through direct and indirect contact and survives long in pork products. Endemic to sub-Saharan Africa, it reached India in 2020. There is no cure or vaccine, necessitating animal culling to prevent spread.

Notes:
China’s Chang’e-6 mission marks a historic milestone as the first to collect and return samples from the Moon’s far side, specifically the South Pole-Aitken Basin. Key achievements include overcoming radio signal blockage with relay satellites, precision landing, and collecting up to 2kg of moon rock and soil. The mission enhances understanding of lunar geology, early solar system history, and Earth-Moon relations, while showcasing China’s growing space capabilities and potential for international collaboration.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is testing eSakshya, a mobile app developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. It aids police in recording crime scenes and uploading evidence to a cloud-based platform. Each recording can be up to four minutes long, with multiple files per First Information Report (FIR). The app aims to ensure digital evidence integrity, crucial for new criminal laws to prevent potential legal loopholes.

Notes:
Jaipur Military Station is now the second in India to have a road made of plastic waste, inaugurated on June 26, 2024, by Major General R. S. Godara. The 100-meter road, built under GE (South) and CE Jaipur Zone with Deep Constructions Pvt Ltd, follows the first plastic road at Narangi Military Station, Assam. These roads are more durable, with less wear and tear, reduced water induction, and increased sustainability.

Notes:
Kapil Dev, renowned Indian cricketer and avid amateur golfer, has been elected as the new president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). He succeeds H Srinivasan, withdrawing his candidacy. Kapil Dev, captain of India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning team, served as vice president and member of PGTI’s governing body. Known as the “Haryana Hurricane,” he played a key role in promoting professional golf in India since PGTI’s inception in 2006, organizing tournaments nationwide.

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 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:
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has launched the AI Preparedness Index (AIPI) Dashboard, ranking 174 countries on their readiness to adopt AI technologies. Categories include Low-Income Countries (LIC), Emerging Market Economies (EM), and Advanced Economies (AE). Singapore, Denmark, and the United States lead the AE category, while India, an EM, ranks 72nd with a score of 0.49. China ranks 31st with a score of 0.63, reflecting its higher readiness compared to neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.