Current Affairs Quiz 10th May 2024 Quiz

Exp. India overtook Japan to become world’s 3rd largest solar power generator in 2023

Due to rapid growth in installed solar power capacity, India became the third-largest solar power generator in 2023.

The 5th “Global Electricity Review” report published by the United Kingdom-based global think tank Ember said that India, which was ranked ninth in 2015, jumped to third position in 2023, overtaking Japan.

India saw the world’s fourth-largest increase in solar generation in 2023 (+18 terawatt hour or TWh), behind China (+156 TWh), the United States (+33 TWh) and Brazil (+22 TWh).

Together, the top four solar growth countries accounted for 75 per cent of growth in 2023.

The global solar generation in 2023 was more than six times larger than in 2015.

Solar’s contribution to electricity generation in India increased from 0.5 per cent in 2015 to 5.8 per cent in 2023.

According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) “Net Zero Emissions” scenario, solar would increase to 22 per cent of global electricity generation by 2030.

Top 10 Solar Power-Generating Countries

1. China
2. United States of America
3. India
4. Japan
5. Germany
6. Brazil
7. Australia
8. Spain
9. Italy
10. South Korea

Exp. Zomato unveils weather services infrastructure

Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal has launched India’s first crowd-supported weather network with over 650 weather stations, the largest private setup in India, for real-time local weather data.

These weather stations, developed by Zomato, provide localised, real-time information on key weather parameters such as temperature, humidity, wind speed, rainfall, among others can be seen at http://weatherunion.com.

Initially available in 45 major cities, plans are underway for expansion.

Exp. DRDO hands over nine defence tech projects to IIT-Bhubaneswar

Nine projects sanctioned from the electronics and communication systems (ECS) cluster of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) were handed over to IIT-Bhubaneswar.

Seven more projects are in the process of being sanctioned from ECS with a funding of Rs 18 crore.

The IIT-Bhubaneswar will work on these sanctioned projects, which would be beneficial in electronics warfare, AI-driven surveillance, power systems and radar systems.

This form of collaboration will enhance the sustainability of defence research programmes and will be part of the ecosystem for nation building.

About Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)

• Founded – 1 January 1958
• Headquarters – New Delhi
• Motto – “Strength’s Origin is in Knowledge”
• Chairman – Samir V Kamat

Exp. Indian Coast Guard sign MoU with Hindalco Industries

Indian Coast Guard has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindalco Industries for manufacturing and supply of indigenous marine-grade aluminium for construction of ships.

The Indian Coast Guard fleet is presently operating 67 ships with aluminium hull with capability of operating in shallow waters.

Indian Coast Guard has planned to induct more such vessels where the indigenously manufactured marine-grade aluminium will be utilized.  

Exp. Bajrang Punia suspended by Wrestling Authorities

Wrestling’s world governing body (UWW) has suspended Bajrang Punia till the end of this year following NADA’s decision to hand him a provisional suspension for refusing to undergo a dope test.

However, despite being well aware of NADA’s order, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) sanctioned close to Rs 9 lakh for his training abroad.

Bajrang, one of the country’s most successful wrestlers, was suspended by NADA on April 23 after being served a whereabouts failure notice on April 18.

Exp. R Shankar Raman elevated as President of L&T

Larsen and Toubro was elevated R Shankar Raman as the Preaident of the engineering and construction conglomerate.

Post the promotion, Raman will continue to hold the position of the whole-time Director and CFO of the company as well.

Raman joined the L&T Group in November 1994 to set up L&T Finance Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary. He later assumed the role of CFO at L&T and was appointed to the board in October 2011.

Recent Appointment 

• Director in Ministry of Ayush – Subodh Kumar
• Country Manager for Visa India – Sujai Raina
• DG of National Institute of Solar Energy – Mohammad Rihan
• Head of GST Appellate Tribunal – Sanjaya Kumar Mishra (for 4 years)
• MD of Raymond -Gautam Hari Singhania

Exp. Keki Mistry appoints as Chairman of HDFC Life

The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDAI) has approved the appointment of Keki Mistry as chairman of HDFC Life.

Last month, the company had appointed Mistry as the chairman of the board, following the decision of Deepak S. Parekh to step down as the chairman and non-executive director of the company.

Mistry, who was the vice chairman and CEO of HDFC Limited was designated as a non-executive director on the board of HDFC Bank Limited following the amalgamation of HDFC Limited with HDFC Bank.

Mistry is also a director on the boards of multiple other companies. He is a qualified chartered accountant and a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Head of Key Relations Group in SBI General Insurance – Jaya Tripathi
• CEO of Paytm Money – Rakesh Singh
• MD & CEO of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank – Sanjeev Nautiyal (replace Ittira Davis) effect from 1 July 2024
• Executive Director of Ujjivan SFB – Carol Furtado (3 years)
• Chairman of HDFC Bank – Atanu Chakraborty (reappointment for 3 years)

Exp. Pawan Sindhi honored with Global Pride of Sindhi Award 2024

Social worker Pawan Sindhi was bestowed with the prestigious Global Pride of Sindhi Award 2024 for Outstanding Social Work.

The award night witnessed a gathering of like-minded individuals who came together to promote the values of humanity, peace, and prosperity.

Recent Awards

• Best Employer’ 2023 by Kincentric – DBS Bank India
• Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize 2024 – Bhavi Mehta (for The Book Beautiful)
• UNESCO’s Guillermo Cano World Press Prize 2024 – All Palestinian journalists
• Whitley Gold Award (Green Oscar) 2024 – Dr Purnima Devi Barman (Assam)
• Grandmaster title by FIDE – Vaishali Ramesh Babu

Exp. OTTplay bagged INMA Global Media Awards 2024

OTTplay has bagged the Gold for Best Product Iteration and Silver in Best Use of an Event at INMA 2024.

OTTplay has won Gold (first place) in the Best Product Iteration category and Silver (second place) in the category for Best Use of an Event to Build a News Brand.

The platform’s transition to an OTT aggregator, addressing the challenge of multiple subscriptions, was celebrated for its innovation.

About OTTplay

• OTTplay is India’s pioneering OTT aggregator that uses AI-based recommendations to revolutionise content discovery and consumption.
• With the introduction of OTTplay Premium, the platform now offers a curated selection of content from 37 premier OTT platforms which are personalized based on each user’s unique preferences.

Exp. Genius Box honored by BIS for quality and branding excellence

Genius Box, a leading brand specializing in innovative DIY educational kits for children, has been recognized and honored by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for its outstanding commitment to quality and branding excellence.

The prestigious recognition comes alongside Genius Box’s distinguished feat of maintaining a flawless record of nil sample failures over the past three years.

Genius Box stands as a pioneer in revolutionizing children’s education through its “Play-full-learning” approach. With a mission to engage children in immersive learning experiences, the brand offers thoughtfully curated kits and games designed to foster curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking skills.

Exp. Amul to Sponsor Sri Lanka Men’s T20 World Cup Team

Sri Lanka has announced Amul, one of India’s iconic diary brands with a global footprint, as their sponsor for the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, starting June 2 in the USA and the West Indies.

Sri Lanka, former champions of the T20 World Cup, will become the third team after South Africa and USA to be sponsored by Amul at the showpiece T20 tournament.

Amul has a history of sponsoring cricket teams during ICC tournaments, having previously collaborated with the New Zealand and the Netherlands national sides for the 2017 Champions Trophy and 2011 Cricket World Cup, respectively.

Additionally, Amul was one of the sponsors of the Women’s Premier League in its inaugural edition.  

Exp. India clinches 5 medals at Asian Open Pickleball Championships

India clinched three gold and two bronze medals at the Asian Open Pickleball Championships in Vietnam.

Sachin Pahwa and Priyanka Chabbra led India to its first gold medal, defeating Ruben Hellberg and Chitlada Hemasee 11-9, 5-11, 11-9, in the mixed doubles intermediate 35+ category final.

While in the women’s doubles open category, the pair of Isha Lakhani and Pei Chuan Kao bagged the gold medal with a dominating 15-7, 15-3 win against Dang Kim Ngan and Tyak K.

In the men’s doubles, India’s Aniket Patel and Rohit Patil claimed the yellow metal despite losing the opening game. The duo defeated Nik Alessandro Isagan and Lester Ga 5-11, 11-6, and 11-8 in the final.

In the men’s singles advance 35+ category, Vijay Menon defeated Yu Hsuan Cher to secure the bronze, while in the women’s singles intermediate 35+ event, Priyanka Chhabra defeated Marissa Phongsirikul, earning India another bronze medal.

Exp. 10 May – World Lupus Day

World Lupus Day is observed on 10 May every year to raise awareness about the autoimmune disease lupus.

The day is also dedicated to spreading awareness about the need for research to find a cure for the disease.

Lupus is a complex and debilitating autoimmune disease that affects millions of people worldwide.

It is characterized by the immune system attacking the body’s own tissues, leading to inflammation and damage to various organs.

Lupus can affect people of all ages, especially women.

The history of World Lupus Day dates back to 2004 when a global campaign was organized to raise awareness about the autoimmune disease lupus. The day was first established by Lupus Canada in 2004.  

Exp. 10 May – International Day of Argania

International Day of Argania is celebrated every year on May 10.

Objective – To increase awareness about these unique trees, their benefits, and the challenges they face.

This special day celebrates the Argan tree, an ancient species that has grown in Morocco for about 80 million years. These trees are not just old; they play a crucial role in the local economy and environment.

The Argan tree is a native species of the sub-Saharan region of Morocco, in the southwest of the country, which grows in arid and semiarid areas.

It’s the defining species of a woodland ecosystem, also known as Arganeraie, which is rich in endemic flora. It is resilient to a harsh environment under water scarcity, risk of erosion and poor soils.

Exp. International Chess Master Varugeese Koshy passes away

International Master Varugeese Koshy passed away reecentlyat the of 66 years.

One of India’s finest trainers, Koshy has mentored a host of Indian chess players including GMs P. Harikrishna, S. L. Narayanan and N.R. Visakh among others at some point in their careers.

Koshy, who represented India in several International tournaments, was also the president of Chess Players Forum India which was formed in 2020-21.