Current Affairs Quiz 22nd and 23rd June 2024 Quiz

Exp. Cabinet approves Rs 76,000-Crore All-Weather Vadhavan Port in Maharashtra

Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Cabinet has approved the development of greenfield deep draft port at Vadhavan in Maharashtra for Rs 76,200 crore.

The port will have nine container terminals, each 1000 meters long, four multipurpose berths, including the coastal berth, four liquid cargo berths, a Ro-Ro berth, and a Coast Guard berth.

The port will further aid export and import through the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor and International North South Transportation Corridor.

The mega project will be constructed by Vadhavan Port Project Limited (VPPL), an SPV formed by Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) with a shareholding of 74% and 26%, respectively.

The Vadhavan Port will be developed as an all-weather Greenfield deep draft major port in Vadhavan, Palghar District, Maharashtra.

Exp. Karnataka Governor inaugurates National Yoga Olympiad 2024 in Mysuru

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has inaugurated the National Yoga Olympiad in Mysuru.

The National Youth Festival in January last year that a massive yoga event was organized in the state to set a new Guinness World Record.

He informed that the state is working towards making Karnataka the leading yoga-literate state of India through Har Ghar Yoga. Yoga prescribed by our ancient scriptures has now gained global recognition, establishing Bharat as the Guru of Yoga.

About Karnataka

• Capital – Bengaluru
• Chief Minister –Siddaramaiah
• Deputy Chief Minister – DK Shivakumar
• Governor – Thawar Chand Gehlot

Exp. Times Of India No. 1 news brand in country

Times of India is the most trusted major news media brand in India, according to a 47-country survey conducted by Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism (RISJ), Oxford University.

The survey, released as part of Digital News Report 2024, an annual publication by the institute, found TOI had a trust score of 71. TOI had also topped the survey in 2021 and 2022.

The most trusted brand in the UK, BBC News, had a trust score of 62 and the most trusted paper in that country, Financial Times, scored 57.

Similarly, in the US, local TV news had the highest trust score of 62 while New York Times (50), Wall Street Journal (49), CNN (48) and Washington Post (46) scored much lower.

Exp. RBI Governor addresses second edition of Global Conference on Financial Resilience

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das emphasized the transformative potential of advanced and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big data analytics in financial institutions.

The second edition of the global conference on financial resilience was organized by the College of Supervisors (CoS) of RBI in Mumbai.

Governor Das highlighted the importance of the financial sector adopting an adaptive and forward-looking approach to navigate emerging challenges.

Mr Das assured that the Reserve Bank will continue to fine-tune the regulatory architecture and supervisory rigour as needed to promote the long-term resilience and stability of the financial system.  

Exp. Energy Transition Index: India at 63rd, topped by Sweden

According to the Global Energy Transition Index 2024 released by the World Economic Forum (WEF), India has been ranked 63rd out of 120 countries surveyed in the index.

Last year, India was ranked 67th, an improvement of three ranks.

European nations dominated the top ranks with Sweden topping the index, followed by Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and France in the top five. China was ranked 20th.

According to the WEF, out of 120 countries 107 countries have demonstrated progress on their energy transition journeys in the past decade.

However, the pace of energy transition has slowed down due to economic volatility, heightened geopolitical tensions and technological shifts.

Recent index

• Environment Performance Index 2024: India at 176th spot topped by Estonia
• Global Gender Gap index 2024: India at 129th; topped by Iceland, Finland (2nd), Norway (3rd), New Zealand (4th), Sweden (5th)
• WEF’s Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024 – India at 39th; topped by USA
• World Press Freedom Index 2024 – Norway (1st), Denmark (2nd), Sweeden (3rd), India (159th); Syria (179th), Eritrea (180th)
• World Cybercrime Index: India at 10th; topped by Russia followed by Ukraine
• Henley Passport Index 2024 – India at 85th; topped by Germany, Italy, Japan, Singapore, and Spain, France

Exp. Girija Subramanian appoints as CMD of New India Assurance Company

The government has appointed Girija Subramanian as chairman and managing director (CMD) of the largest general insurer, New India Assurance.

Subramanian holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics. She is a fellow member of the Insurance Institute  of India and also an associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London.

She is a fellow member of the Insurance Institute of India and also an associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London.

Girija Subramanian appoints as CMD of New India Assurance Company

The government has appointed Girija Subramanian as chairman and managing director (CMD) of the largest general insurer, New India Assurance.

Subramanian holds a bachelor’s degree in statistics. She is a fellow member of the Insurance Institute of India and also an associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London.

She is a fellow member of the Insurance Institute of India and also an associate member of the Chartered Insurance Institute, London.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• Non-executive Independent Director of Paytm – Neeraj Arora
• MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank – Ajith Kumar KK
• DG of ESIC – Kamal Kishore Soan
• MD & CEO of PNB MetLife India Insurance – Sameer Bansal (replace Ashish Srivastava)
• CEO of Asirvad Micro Finance Limited – Satish Nair
• Independent Director of Cashfree Payments – Abhaya Hota

Exp. Sudhakararao Papa appointed as Director (Enterprise) at BSNL

Sudhakararao Papa has been appointed as the Director (Enterprise) of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL).

Presently, he is serving as Chief General Manager (Chennai Telecom District Circle) in the same organisation.

Papa has been selected for the post of Director (Enterprises) of BSNL Limited from a list of 11 candidates.

Recent Appointment 

• Chairman of Global Wind Energy Council India (GWEC India) – Girish Tanti
• President of the Asian Association of Hair Restoration Surgeons – Dr Kapil Dua
• Principal Secretary to PM – Dr PK Mishra (reappointment)
• National Security Advisor – Ajit Doval (reappointment)
• Advisors to the Prime Minister – Amit Khare and Tarun Kapoor (reappointment)
• MD and CEO of SBICAP Ventures Limited – Prem Prabhakar

Exp. NHAI signs MoU with IIIT Delhi to Enhance Road Safety by deploying AI

National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has signed a MoU with Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, a Technical University established by Government of National Capital Territory (NCT), to leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions for improvement in the availability of road signs on National Highways.

This initiative will leverage Artificial Intelligence (AI) based solutions for improvement in the availability of road signs on National Highways.

As a part of the agreement, IIIT Delhi will conduct surveys to collect imagery and other related data related to the availability and condition of road signs on selected National Highway stretches.

Around 25,000 km of tentative length of Highways stretches will be covered under this project. The data collected through surveys will be processed by IIIT Delhi through the deployment of Artificial Intelligence for accurate identification and classification of road signs.

Exp. Government increases MSP for Kharif crops for marketing season 2024-25

The Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Kharif crops for the marketing season 2024-25.

Government has increased the MSP of Kharif Crops for Marketing Season 2024-25, to ensure remunerative prices to the growers for their produce.

The highest absolute increase in MSP over the previous year has been recommended for oilseeds and pulses viz. nigerseed (Rs.983/- per quintal) followed by sesamum (Rs.632/- per quintal) and tur/arhar (Rs.550/- per quintal).

Exp. 2024 Copa America football tournament begins in USA

The 48th edition of the Copa America football tournament kick off in the United States.

This is the second time in the 108-year history of the Copa America Cup that the event is being held outside South America.

In 2016, the United States hosted the Copa America Cup.

Most successful teams in the Copa America

• Argentina and Uruguay jointly share the honour of being the most successful countries in the Copa America Cup. Both countries have won the trophy fifteen times each.
• Brazil has won the tournament 14 times.
• Argentina are the defending champions. They defeated the host, Brazil, in the final of the 2021 Copa America.

Exp. Centre appoints Atul Kumar Chaudhary as Secretary, TRAI

The government has appointed Atul Kumar Chaudhary, as the new Secretary, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

He replaced V Raghunandan who retired on May 31.

Chaudhary is a graduate from IIT-Rookkee and did his Master Diploma in Public Policy & Administration from IIPA Delhi.

He has worked in various capacities in Personnel, HR, Administration, Licencing, Vigilance wing of BSNL and Department of Telecommunications (DoT).  

Exp. 21 June – World Hydrography Day

World Hydrography Day is celebrated every year on 21 June.

Objective – To raise awareness about the significance of hydrography and the invaluable contributions made by hydrographers worldwide.

Theme 2024 – Hydrographic Information – Enhancing Safety, Efficiency and Sustainability in Marine Activities

Q.13. World Music Day is observed every year on which day?

विश्व संगीत दिवस हर साल किस दिन मनाया जाता है?

(a) 20 June

(b) 21 June

(c) 22 June

(d) 23 June

(e) 24 June

Exp. 21 June - World Music Day

World Music Day is observed every year on June 21.

The day celebrates music in all its forms, encompassing classical, contemporary, traditional, and experimental genres.

By providing an inclusive space for artists to share their talents, World Music Day underscores the importance of self-expression and creativity, reminding us of the profound impact music has on bringing people together.

The concept of World Music Day originated in France in 1981, when Jack Lang, the French Ministry of Culture, along with music composer Maurice Fleuret, and a radio producer and music journalist, proposed the idea of dedicating a day to music.

The first Fête de la Musique took place in Paris in 1982, with over 1,000 musicians performing throughout the city.

Exp. Former Indian pacer David Johnson dies

Former India pacer David Johnson passed away at the age of 52 after falling from a balcony in Bengaluru.

The right-arm fast bowler from Karnataka was born on October 16, 1971, in the Arasikere region.

He represented India in international cricket in the mid-1990s. He made his Test debut for India against Australia in October 1996 and featured in a total of two Test matches.

The highlight of Johnson’s career was clocking at 157.8 kmph during the Test match against Australia.

His domestic career for Karnataka spanned 39 First-Class matches as he enjoyed immense success in the domestic circuit.

He recorded his best match figures of 10 for 152 against Kerela in 1995-96 Ranji Trophy season. His performance in the domestic set-up for Karnataka paved his way to the national side.