Daily Current Affairs Quiz: June 23-24, 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:
The Hemis Festival, celebrating Tibetan Buddhism, occurs annually in Ladakh, India. In 2024, it celebrated on June 16th and 17th. Known as Hemis Tsechu, it commemorates Guru Padmasambhava’s birth anniversary. The two-day event fills Hemis Monastery, Ladakh’s largest Buddhist monastery, with vibrant colors, music, and spiritual energy, making it a significant cultural celebration.

Notes:
A PLA study claims China’s Fire Dragon 480 missile can sink a US Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the Red Sea. The 750-mm tactical ballistic missile, made by Norinco Group, features precision-guidance sensors and a high-speed launch platform. With a warhead over 400 kg and impact velocity over 500 meters per second, it can destroy a 10,000-ton cruiser with two hits. Adopted in 2019, it has a range exceeding 500 km.

Notes:
Air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for death, per the 2024 State of Global Air (SoGA) report by the Health Effects Institute and UNICEF. It causes non-communicable diseases like heart disease and lung cancer, with 8.1 million deaths in 2021. India and China accounted for 54% of the global air pollution disease burden. In 2021, air pollution caused 1,69,400 child deaths in India and 2,37,000 COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) deaths.

Notes:
New research reveals Australia’s pink garnet sand originated from Antarctic mountains. Garnet, a deep red mineral formed in high-temperature conditions, is rare in beach sand due to wave erosion. Found in metamorphic and igneous rocks, garnets are often opaque to translucent. Australia produces nearly half of the world’s garnets, used in abrasives, grinding wheels, and decorative applications. Garnet-rich sand typically also contains epidote and magnetite.