Current Affairs Quiz 20th and 21st June 2024 Quiz

Exp. CERT-In and Mastercard India signed MoU to Boost Cyber Security in Financial Sector

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) and Mastercard India have signed MoU for collaboration in cyber security to enhance India’s cyber-resilience in the financial sector.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology said, two entities will leverage their shared expertise to strengthen the financial sector’s cybersecurity incident response.

Mastercard and CERT-In will hold training programs and workshops for cyber capacity building, latest market trends and best practices to enhance cyber security of financial sector organizations.

The two entities will also share relevant cyber threat trends, technical information, threat intelligence, and vulnerability reports to strengthen the financial sector information security of India.

Exp. MSDE partners with Australian Government to energise Agriculture Sector of India with emerging skills

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), in collaboration with the Australian Government, hosted a comprehensive and productive roundtable to discuss the learnings from the Australia-India Critical Agriculture Skills Pilot Project.

The findings were shared with MSDE and the Australian Government and subsequently 107 emerging job roles were mapped to identify the 5 critical emerging job roles in the agriculture sector for the pilot projects.

The six pilot projects nearing completion have been implemented in 4 states, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

Exp. Zurich Insurance completes majority stake buy in Kotak General Insurance

Zurich Insurance Company Limited (Zurich) has successful completion of majority stake acquisition in Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company Limited (Kotak General) from Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (KMB) following the receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals.

Zurich has acquired a 70 percent stake in Kotak General for a total consideration of ₹5,560 crore ($670 million), through a combination of fresh growth capital and share purchase.

The transaction marks the largest foreign investment in India’s general insurance market and is the first by a foreign insurer since the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit was raised from 49 percent to 74 percent in 2021.

With this, Kotak General has ceased to be a wholly-owned subsidiary of KMB and the bank now holds the remaining 30 percent of the share capital of Kotak General.

Exp. IPPB partners with Ria Money Transfer to enhance doorstep financial services nationwide

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with Ria Money Transfer, a global leader in cross-border money transfers to provide convenient and affordable doorstep financial services to customers in remote areas across the country.

The partnership between IPPB and Ria will enhance access to banking services at customers’ doorsteps, allowing them to withdraw only the amounts they need immediately.

This initiative aims to mitigate the previous challenges and risks, fostering true financial inclusion.

Through this partnership, the International Inward Money Transfer service will initially be available at over 25 thousand Post Office locations, with an expected reach of over One Lakh locations through the Post Offices.

Exp. Avian Influenza Outbreak and Response Simulation Exercise held at Bhopal

The Department of Animal Husbandry, in partnership with the World Bank has organized an Avian Influenza Outbreak and Response Simulation Exercise in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

This workshop comes at a crucial time as we face unusual outbreaks of Avian Influenza in Kerala and witness a global trend of spillovers to non-poultry species, including cattle.

The two-day workshop aims to enhance preparedness and response capabilities for avian influenza outbreaks.

About Madhya Pradesh

• Capital – Bhopal
• Chief Minister – Dr Mohan Yadav (replace Shivraj Singh Chauhan)
• Deputy CM – Jagdish Devda & Rajendra Shukla
• Speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly – Narendra Singh Tomar
• Governor – Mangubhai C. Patel
• Lok Shaba Seats – 29
• Rajya Sabha Seats – 11
• Legislative Assembly Seats – 230

Exp. Federal Bank launches RuPay Wave credit card

Federal Bank, in collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has launched RuPay Wave Credit Card to offer customers UPI-powered transactions on RuPay network.

The bank’s cardholders can now link their RuPay Wave credit card to their preferred UPI applications, which would enable them swift and secure transactions with just a couple of clicks on their mobile devices.

The benefits offered for customers include no AMC or joining fees, 10 per cent cash back on the first five UPI transactions made using the Wave credit card, 1000 bonus reward points upon quarterly spends of ₹50,000.

About Federal Bank

• Founded- 23 April 1931
• Founder- K.P Hormis
• Headquarters – Kochi, Kerala
• CEO- Shyam Srinivasan

Exp. Mark Rutte appoint as new secretary-general of NATO

Mark Rutte will appoint as the new secretary-general of NATO. Mark Rutte will succeed Jens Stoltenberg.

Rutte has been the PM of Netherlands for 14 years.

Rutte will take over NATO’s leadership at a critical time. His new job will begin by Oct. 2, just over a month before the U.S. election, which will shape the fate of the military alliance that has served as Eastern Europe’s most successful deterrence to an aggressive Russia.

About North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

• Founded – 1949
• Headquarters – Brussels, Belgium
• Secretary General- Mark Rutte
• Member countries -32 (32^nd Sweden, 31^st Finland)
• Founding Members – United States, Canada, and ten European countries, including Belgium, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, and the United Kingdom.
• NATO is a military alliance between North American and European countries.

Exp. Cabinet approves Central Sector Scheme “National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme” (NFIES)

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of Ministry of Home Affairs for Central Sector Scheme “National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES)” with a total financial outlay of Rs. 2254.43 crore during the period from 2024-25 to 2028-29.

Financial outlay of the Central Sector Scheme will be provisioned by the Ministry of Home Affairs from its own budget.

The Cabinet has approved the following components under this Scheme:

1. Establishment of Campuses of the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) in the country.
2. Establishment of Central Forensic Science Laboratories in the country.

iii. Enhancement of existing infrastructure of the Delhi Campus of the NFSU.

Exp. Union Cabinet approves development of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi, UP

The Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved the proposal of Airports Authority of India (AAI) for development of Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport, Varanasi including Construction of New Terminal Building, Apron Extension, Runway Extension, Parallel Taxi Track & Allied works.

The estimated financial outgo will be Rs. 2869.65 Crore for enhancing the passenger handling capacity of the airport to 9.9 million passengers per annum (MPPA) from the existing 3.9 MPPA.

The New Terminal Building, which encompasses an area of 75,000 sqm is designed for a capacity of 6 MPPA and for handling 5000 Peak Hour Passengers (PHP).

The proposal includes extending the runway to dimensions 4075m x 45m and constructing a new Apron to park 20 aircraft.

Varanasi airport will be developed as a green airport with the primary objective of ensuring environmental sustainability through energy optimization, waste recycling, carbon footprint reduction, solar energy utilization, and incorporation of natural daylighting, alongside other sustainable measures throughout the planning, development, and operational stages.

Exp. HAL Receives Rs 45,000 Crore RFP from MoD for 156 Indigenous Light Combat Helicopters

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), based in Bengaluru, has received a Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the procurement of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) Prachand, estimated to cost Rs 45,000 crore.

The MoD issued this RFP under Regulation 30 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

Of the 156 LCHs, 90 are allocated for the Indian Army (IA) and 66 for the Indian Air Force (IAF).

About Light Combat Helicopter (LCH)

• The LCH Prachand is the first indigenous Multi-Role Combat Helicopter, designed and manufactured by HAL in collaboration with French engine-maker Safran.
• It is the world’s only attack helicopter capable of landing and taking off at an altitude of 5,000 meters (16,400 ft), suitable for operations in high-altitude areas like the Siachen glacier and Eastern Ladakh.
• The LCH is a 5-8 tonne class dedicated combat helicopter, powered by twin Shakti engines.
• It features a countermeasure dispensing system that protects it from enemy radar detection.

About HAL

• HAL is a Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• Established- 1940
• Headquarters- Bengaluru, Karnataka
• Chairman and Managing Director (CMD)- C.B. Ananthakrishnan

Exp. Arjun Erigaisi wins Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024

India’s highest-rated chess player GM Arjun Erigaisi continued his top run as he dominated the 10-player field to win the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024 in Jermuk, Armenia , with a round to spare.

India’s highest-rated chess player GM Arjun Erigaisi continued his top run as he dominated the 10-player field to win the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024 on Monday in Jermuk, Armenia, with a round to spare.

Arjun beat Russia’s Volodar Murzin with white pieces in 63 moves to end the penultimate round (eight) with six points, a full 1.5 points ahead of the three-player deadlock on second position with 4.5 points.

With four wins and as many draws in eight rounds, Arjun accounted for 9 Elo rating points; his live rating of 2779.9 took him to world no. four behind Magnus Carlsen of Norway, USA’s Hikaru Nakamura and Fabiano Caruana.

Exp. Neeraj Chopra wins Gold in Paavo Nurmi Games 2024

Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra has won the gold medal in the men’s javelin event at the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games in Turku, Finland.

Neeraj Chopra took the Gold with a best effort of 85.97m, well short of his season-best effort.

Much to the surprise of the 8-man field, 26-year-old Toni Keranen won silver with a personal best attempt of 84.19m.

He bettered the likes of Anderson Peters and Keshorn Walcott, who failed to finish in the top 3. 2022 champion Oliver Helander took bronze with a best attempt of 83.96.

Exp. PM Modi unveils 1,500 crore Multiple Development Projects in J&K

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of 84 major developmental projects worth more than Rs 1500 crore in Jammu and Kashmir.

Additionally, the Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for projects like the improvement of the Chenani-Patnitop-Nashri Section, the development of Industrial Estates and the construction of six Government Degree Colleges.

The Prime Minister also launched the Competitiveness Improvement in Agriculture and Allied Sectors (JKCIP) Project worth Rs 1,800 crore. The project will be implemented in 90 Blocks across 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir and will have the project outreach of 300,000 households covering 15 lakh beneficiaries.

About Jammu and Kashmir

• Capital- Srinagar (May–October), Jammu (November–April)
• Lieutenant Governor – Manoj Sinha
• Legislative Council – 36 seats
• Legislative Assembly – 89 seats

Exp. Ukraine launches World’s first Unmanned Systems Forces

Ukraine has established the world’s first stand-alone military branch solely dedicated to unmanned systems, known as the Unmanned Systems Forces (USF).

The USF was officially launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in Kyiv, Ukraine.

USF aims to enhance capabilities in unmanned and robotic warfare across air, sea, and ground domains during combat operations.

It focuses on advancing the development and deployment of unmanned systems for military purposes.

About Ukraine

• Capital- Kyiv
• Currency – Hryvnia
• President – Volodymyr Zelenskyy
• Prime Minister – Denys Shmyhal

Exp. 20 June – World Refugee Day

World Refugee Day is observed every year on 20 June.

The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of refugees worldwide and promoting their inclusion and acceptance in host communities.

World Refugee Day is commemorated with the hope of finding a lasting solution to the global refugee crisis and providing a safe place for all displaced people. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of international cooperation and solidarity in addressing this issue.

Theme 2024 – For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed

The first-ever World Refugee Day was celebrated on 20 June 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

The day was earlier recognized as Africa Refugee Day and later in December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly officially

Exp. 21 June – International Day of Yoga

International Day of Yoga is observed every year on 21 June. This year marks the 10th International Day of Yoga.

Theme 2024 – Yoga for Self and Society

Yoga, a transformative practice, represents the harmony of mind and body,the balance between thought and action, and the unity of restraint and fulfillment.

Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga

The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states.

The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69th session of the General Assembly.

Exp. Trent Boult announces retirement from international cricket

New Zealand’s left-arm fast bowler Trent Boult has announced his retirement from International Cricket.

Trent Boult made his international debut for New Zealand in 2011, and he represented the Black Cap (New Zealand team) in all the formats of the games – Test matches, One Day Internationals (ODIs) and T 20 Internationals.

He also has the distinction of appearing in all the finals of the three formats of the games.

He played in the first ICC World Test Championship final held at Lords, England, in 2021 against India. The final was won by New Zealand by 8 wickets.

Recently Retired Players

• David Wiese (Namibia) – International cricket
• Kedar Jadhav (India) – International cricket
• Dinesh Kartik (India) – All forms of cricket
• Bernadine Bezuidenhout (South Africa and New Zealand) – International Cricket
• James Anderson (England) – International Cricket
• Saurav Ghosal (India) – Professional Squash
• Collins Obuya (Kenya) – International cricket
• Matthew Wade (Australia) – First-class cricket