Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2024

Notes:
The 8th Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX-24) has commenced in Yokosuka, Japan. Hosted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF), it features the Indian Navy’s INS Shivalik and JMSDF’s JS Yugiri. The exercise includes harbour and sea phases, focusing on naval interaction and warfighting skills, aiming to enhance interoperability and strengthen defense ties between Japan and India.

Notes:
Sarod maestro Pandit Rajeev Taranath recently passed away in Mysuru. The sarod, a prominent Hindustani classical music instrument, is a stringed lute adapted from the Afghan rabab in the 16th century, with its modern form designed in the 19th century. Typically 100 cm long, it features a hollow wooden body, a goatskin membrane, a horn bridge, and steel or bronze strings, with no fretboard but a polished steel plate.

Notes:
Independent advisers to the US FDA unanimously determined that the benefits of the new Alzheimer’s drug, Donanemab, outweigh its risks. Similar to Lecanemab, Donanemab targets amyloid beta plaques, showing a 35.1% cognitive decline reduction in early-stage patients over 76 weeks. While it doesn’t cure Alzheimer’s, it slows progression. FDA concerns initially delayed approval due to side effects like brain swelling. India faces a growing Alzheimer’s challenge with inadequate national planning.

Notes:
Researchers used CRISPR/Cas9 to alter photosynthesis for the first time. CRISPR, short for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, is a gene-editing technology enabling precise, quick, and affordable genetic modifications. Developed from bacteria’s immune response to viruses, CRISPR/Cas9 can remove, add, or alter DNA sequences, correcting genome errors and regulating gene activity in cells and organisms.

Notes:
The United Nations declared 2024 as the International Year of Camelids (IYC) to raise awareness about the crucial role these animals play in the lives of millions of people, particularly in harsh environments. The IYC aims to highlight the untapped potential of camelids and encourage increased investment in the camelid sector.

Notes:
The Satnami community in Chhattisgarh violently protested the desecration of a Jaitkhamb, a sacred symbol. The tallest Jaitkhamb is near Giraud village in Baloda Bazar of Chhattisgarh, at Guru Ghasidas’ birthplace. The Satnamis, founded in 1657 by Birbhan in Haryana, trace their roots to Bhakti poet Kabir and Saint Ravidas. The community’s spiritual lineage follows Guru Ghasidas, an 18th-century saint.

Notes:
Punjab Police, in collaboration with the BSF and VDCs, conducted a one-week anti-drug campaign, “Mission Nishchay,” in Fazilka district from June 15 to 21. They will engage residents of 42 villages along the India-Pakistan border to gather intelligence on drug demand and supply. The initiative aims to foster community participation, with a special focus on youth and women, in curbing the drug menace.

Notes:
The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), with World Bank assistance, aims to enhance trash management by 2026-2027, focusing on stopping waste disposal at the Kodungaiyur dump. In a recent meeting with state officials, GCC discussed making solid waste management strategic, setting a Zero Waste goal, and eventually closing the Perungudi dumpsite following Kodungaiyur’s success.

Notes:
An Indian Air Force contingent, including Rafale aircraft, participated in Exercise Red Flag 2024 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. This advanced aerial combat training involved air forces from Singapore, UK, Netherlands, Germany, and the US. Conducted four times annually by the US Air Force, Red Flag simulates realistic combat scenarios with Red Force defending and Blue Force attacking, enhancing international air force cooperation and readiness. This marked the debut of IAF’s Rafale in Red Flag exercises.

Notes:
The 2nd India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) meeting was held on June 17, 2024, in New Delhi. Co-chaired by Indian NSA Ajit Doval and US NSA Jake Sullivan, this event marked Sullivan’s first visit to India post the third swearing-in of the Modi government. The iCET aims to enhance cooperation in space, semiconductors, telecom, AI, quantum tech, biotechnology, and clean energy.