Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
Researchers discovered 230 million metric tons of minerals essential for electric car batteries on the seabed off Minami-Torishima Island, also known as Marcus Island. This isolated Japanese atoll in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, southeast of Tokyo, has a triangular shape formed by a raised coral reef. The island has a flat terrain with a maximum altitude of 9 meters and an oceanic climate, with an average annual temperature of 25.6°C.

Notes:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma launched the Mukhya Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, an income support scheme, at Krishi Upaj Mandi in Tonk. The first installment of Rs 650 crore was released to 65 lakh farmers. Eligible farmers will receive Rs 2000 annually in three installments, alongside the Rs 6000 from the central PM-KISAN scheme. The Cooperative Department is the nodal agency for implementation.

Notes:
The Indian men’s cricket team, led by Rohit Sharma, won the 9th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup by defeating South Africa by 7 runs at Kensington Oval, Barbados on 29 June 2024. This is India’s second T20 World Cup win, following their 2007 victory. The final marked the T20 retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja. It was also Rahul Dravid’s last assignment as coach.

Notes:
Indian Naval Ship INS Ranvir, a Rajput Class Guided Missile Destroyer, arrived in Chattogram, Bangladesh for an Operational Deployment. Commissioned in 1986, the upgraded ship features state-of-the-art indigenous weapons and sensors. The visit includes professional interactions, community outreach, and sports with Bangladeshi naval personnel. INS Ranvir will also participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise. This visit enhances India-Bangladesh friendship, cooperation, and regional security, aligned with India’s SAGAR initiative.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Dick Schoof on becoming the new Prime Minister of the Netherlands and expressed eagerness to strengthen India-Netherlands relations. Schoof, 67, a former head of the Dutch Secret Service, was sworn in by King Willem-Alexander. He succeeds Mark Rutte, who will become NATO’s next secretary-general. The new government formation followed seven months of negotiations after far-right leader Geert Wilders’ electoral victory.

Notes:
The 16th India-Mongolia Joint Military Exercise Nomadic Elephant started at Umroi, Meghalaya, running from July 3 to 16, 2024. It involves 45 Indian personnel and Mongolian Army’s 150 Quick Reaction Force Battalion. The annual event, alternating between the countries, focuses on counter-insurgency in semi-urban and mountainous terrain. Key attendees include Mongolian Ambassador Dambajavyn Ganbold and Major General Prasanna Joshi. The exercise enhances interoperability and defense cooperation.

Notes:
India successfully test-fired the Rudram-1, its first indigenous anti-radiation missile developed by DRDO for the Indian Air Force (IAF). Key features include a launch platform on Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, INS-GPS navigation, and a Passive Homing Head. It has a range of 100-250 km and speeds up to Mach 2. Rudram-1 enhances the IAF’s Suppression of Enemy Air Defence (SEAD) capability, acts as a force multiplier, and marks a significant step towards self-reliance in defense technology.

Notes:
NITI Aayog launched the ‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’ on July 4, 2024, targeting 100% saturation of 12 key social sector indicators across 112 Aspirational Districts and 500 Aspirational Blocks. Running until September 30, the campaign saw enthusiastic participation from officials, frontline workers, and citizens nationwide. Events included health camps, cultural programs, and awareness yatras, emphasizing community involvement and commitment to the campaign’s goals from Jammu and Kashmir to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Notes:
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued guidelines for funding under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, approved by the Union Cabinet on January 4, 2023. The mission aims to make India a global hub for producing, utilizing, and exporting green hydrogen. Key components include financial incentives for domestic electrolyser manufacturing and green hydrogen production, pilot projects, development of Green Hydrogen Hubs, the Strategic Hydrogen Innovation Partnership (SHIP) for R&D, and a coordinated skill development program.

Notes:
Sierra Leone’s president signed a law banning marriage for children under 18. In 2020, UNICEF reported about 800,000 girls under 18 in Sierra Leone were married, roughly a third of the country’s girls. Globally, at least 12 million girls marry before 18 each year, particularly in conflict zones. In India, despite the legal marriage age being 18 for girls, around 1.5 million underage marriages occur annually.