Current Affairs Quiz 29th and 30th June 2024 Quiz

Exp. Tata Group retains top spot as India’s most valuable brand at $28.6 billion

Tata Group has retained its position as India’s most valuable brand with a value of $28.6 billion, reflecting a 9 per cent increase from last year.

Following Tata, Infosys holds the second position, while HDFC Group has made a significant leap to third place, in Brand Value’s ‘India 100 2024 ranking.

Brand Finance’s report highlighted that Tata Group marks the first time an Indian brand is nearing the $30 billion mark. Meanwhile, HDFC was propelled to the third position driven by its monumental merger with HDFC Ltd. This merger has bolstered HDFC Group’s brand value, reflecting a strong presence in the financial sector.

Taj, valued at $545 million, maintains its position as India’s strongest brand with an impressive Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 92.9 out of 100 and a prestigious AAA+ rating for brand strength.

Exp. MicrobioTx launches India’s first Hyper-Personalised Probiotic

MicrobioTx, a Bengaluru-based gut health startup, introduced Personal Probiotics, India’s first prebiotic and probiotic blend handcrafted based on individual gut profile, and GutChat, a free gut health-focused chatbot for gut health enthusiasts.

Personal probiotics are hand-crafted based on the results of a unique, patent-protected and clinically proven gut microbiome test.

It is estimated that 1 out of every four individuals in urban India suffers from gut-related issues. The key factors causing the conditions include inadequate fiber intake, irregular eating habits, low water intake, stress, and consumption of processed, fatty and oily food.

World Microbiome Day – 27 June

Exp. RPF launches Sangyaan App to educate and empower RPF Personnel

The Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF) Manoj Yadava has launched the mobile application-Sangyaan App.

It is designed and developed by the Tech Team of RPF to provide in-depth information on three new Criminal Acts: The Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023.

Sangyaan App aims to educate and empower RPF Personnel by providing comprehensive information to understand the provisions of both new and old criminal laws, while highlighting the relevance of these new acts in the context of RPF operations.

The app features user-friendly navigation, a searchable database and offline access, making it a practical tool for anyone seeking to stay informed about the latest legal developments in India.

Exp. Bioplastic Park to be set up in UP Lakhimpur Kheri district

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to set up a bioplastic park in the state to deal with the problem of environmental pollution caused by the pertoleum derivative based plastic products in the state.

The bioplastic park to be developed on 1000 hectares of land will be constructed in Kumbhi village, Gola Gokarnnath tehsil, Lakhimpur Kheri district.

The project will be developed with an estimated cost of Rs 2000 crore.

The state government has made the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA) the nodal agency for the development of the bioplastic park.

Exp. MoE launches nationwide campaign on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions

The Ministry of Education (MoE) under the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) has initiated a nationwide campaign focused on Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI).

Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Education has developed a “ToFEI Implementation Manual” for schools and launched it on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) which was observed on 31st May, 2024.

The objective is to make educational institutions across the nation comply with the ToFEI guidelines and become #Tobacco Free Area.

The initiative outlines several key measures to be implemented in schools nationwide, including the display of “Tobacco Free Area” signage within school premises, prohibiting evidence of tobacco use on campus, organizing regular tobacco control activities, and nominating “Tobacco Monitors” among staff.

Exp. Naveen Chandra Jha appointed as MD & CEO of SBI General Insurance

Naveen Chandra Jha has been appointed as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD & CEO) of SBI General Insurance Company Limited.

He succeeds Kishore Kumar Poludasu.

Jha has been associated with the State Bank of India since 1994 and has held several key positions during his tenure.

Prior to his current role at SBI General Insurance, Jha served as Deputy Managing Director of SBI.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• MD & CEO for Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Mgmt. Company – A Balasubramanian (reappointment for 3 years)
• Chairperson of Sa-Dhan – Paul Thomas
• CMD of New India Assurance Company – Girija Subramanian
• Non-executive Independent Director of Paytm – Neeraj Arora
• MD and CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank – Ajith Kumar KK
• DG of ESIC – Kamal Kishore Soan

Exp. S Jaishankar to represent India at SCO summit in Kazakhstan

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Astana.

The SCO summit to be held on July 3 and 4 is expected to focus on the regional security situation and ways to boost connectivity and trade.

The SCO, comprising India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan is an influential economic and security bloc that has emerged as one of the largest transregional international organisations.

India’s association with the SCO began in 2005 as an observer country. It became a full member state of the SCO at the Astana summit in 2017.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Pakistan became its permanent member along with India in 2017.

Exp. Turkey removed from Money Laundering Grey List

Turkey has been removed from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) ‘grey list’ after recent evaluations of the country’s progress on money laundering and terrorist financing.

Turkey was placed on the FATF grey list in 2021 due to concerns about money laundering and terrorist financing in the country.

Turkey has made “significant progress” in improving its regime of anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.

Turkey’s removal from the grey list is expected to enhance foreign investor confidence and potentially boost the Turkish lira and assets.

The move comes at a crucial time as Turkey battles soaring inflation and a cost-of-living crisis. Improved international standing could facilitate better economic conditions and investor relations.

About Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• Founded – 1989
• Headquarters – Paris, France
• Membership – 39
• President – T Raja Kumar (Singapore)

Exp. Dr. Usha Thakur awarded 12th Vishwa Hindi Samman

Dr. Usha Thakur was awarded the 12th Vishwa Hindi Samman (World Hindi Conference) at a Hindi Samvad event organized by the Embassy of India in Nepal.

She has translated more than 40 literatures in Hindi and Nepali and strengthened Hindi language. This award is given by the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India.

12th World Hindi Conference was held in Fiji in 2023. As Dr Thakur could not attend the event in Fiji, she was  given the award in an event organised in Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu.

Recent Award

• UK Commonwealth Short Story Prize 2024 – Sanjana Thakur (For Aishwarya Rai)
• Pen Pinter Prize 2024 – Arundhati Roy (for Unflinching and unswerving)
• PSU Leadership & Excellence Award 2024 – THDC India Limited (category of ‘Leadership in Digital Transformation).
• National award for APY implementation – Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
• Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award – Vinod Ganatra

Exp. Deputy NSA Vikram Misri to be new Foreign Secretary

Deputy National Security Advisor Vikram Misri will take charge as the Foreign Secretary on July 15.

Mr. Misri, who is a former Indian ambassador to China, will succeed current Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra.

Before he was appointed as the Deputy NSA, Vikram Misri served as India’s ambassador to China from 2019-2021.

Misri, 59, is believed to have played a key role in talks between India and China after tensions flared significantly following the Galwan Valley clashes in June, 2020.

Misri also served as India’s ambassador to Spain (2014-2016) and Myanmar (2016-2018) besides having stints in many Indian missions including Pakistan, the US, Germany, Belgium and Sri Lanka.

Other Important Secretaries

• Revenue Secretary – Sanjay Malhotra
• Defence Secretary – Giridhar Aramane
• Economic Affairs Secretary – Ajay Seth
• Finance Secretary – V. Somanathan
• Expenditure Secretary – T. V. Somanathan
• Home Secretary – Ajay Kumar Bhalla
• MoSPI Secretary – G. P. Samanta

Exp. NASA picks SpaceX to destroy International Space Station

NASA had picked SpaceX to build a vessel to carry the International Space Station back through Earth’s atmosphere and on to a final resting place in the Pacific Ocean after it is retired in 2030.

Elon Musk’s company has been awarded a contract with a potential value of US$843 million to develop and deliver the spaceship, dubbed the US Deorbit Vehicle.

Selecting a US Deorbit Vehicle for the International Space Station will help NASA and its international partners ensure a safe and responsible transition in low Earth orbit at the end of station operations.

Weighing 430,000 kilograms (950,000) pounds, the ISS is by far the largest single structure ever built in space.

The first segment of the ISS was launched in 1998, and it has been continuously inhabited by an international crew since 2001.

Exp. Central Railway installs first-ever Floating Solar Plant in Nashik Lake

In a first for the Indian Railways, the Central Railway (CR) has installed a floating solar power plant of 10MWp capacity in the Igatpuri Lake in Nashik, Maharashtra.

Stepping towards its ultimate goal of zero carbon emission by 2030, the CR has already commissioned 12.05 MWp (MegaWatt peak) solar plants on railway stations’ rooftops and buildings, adding 4 MWp last year.

This has resulted in a saving of ₹4.62 crore in 2023-2024, plus saving carbon footprints of around 6.95 tons. We plan to install additional 7 MWp solar power plants in the current year.

Besides 61 MW solar energy, the CR is already tapping 56.4 MW wind energy, and it has signed PPA’s to utilize 325 MW solar and wind energy on a 24-hour basis.

The CR’s current monthly power consumption is 236.92 million units for traction work and 9.7 million units for other non-traction works. After the commissioning of the above sources of renewables, the CR expects that 70 per cent of its traction energy will be green.  

Exp. 27 June – International Pineapple Day

International Pineapple Day is celebrated every year on 27 June.

This day is dedicated to the tropical fruit pineapple and its nutritional, economic, and cultural benefits.

The day dates back to the 17th and 18th centuries when pineapples were used as a symbol of warmth and welcome.

In Asia, pineapples symbolize prosperity and good fortune, while in the Caribbean, they symbolize friendship.

Exp. 28 June – National Insurance Awareness Day

National Insurance Awareness Day is observed every year on June 28.

This day is dedicated to promoting the importance of insurance and ensuring that people understand the benefits of having adequate insurance coverage.

The day also serves as a reminder to review insurance plans regularly and to make sure that they are up-to-date and reflect the changing needs of the individual.

The history of insurance dates back to the Great Fire of London in 1886. The devastation caused by the fires led to the development of new forms of insurance that could protect individuals and families from the financial risks of major events.

Exp. Renowned English Statistician, Frank Duckworth passes away

Frank Duckworth, one of the inventors of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, passed away. He was 84.

The Duckworth-Lewis method, devised by Duckworth and fellow statistician Tony Lewis, was introduced to determine results in rain-affected cricket matches. Lewis had passed away aged 78 in 2020.

The method was first used in international cricket in 1997 and was formally adopted by the ICC as the standard method for setting revised targets in truncated games in 2001.

The method was renamed the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after the retirement of Duckworth and Lewis, followed by some modifications by Australian statistician Steven Stern.

Exp. 29 June – National Statistics Day

National Statistics Day is observed every year on June 29 to honour the late scientist Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.

The day highlights his contributions to the field of statistics and economic planning in the post-independent era.

The day is not to be confused with the United Nations’ World Statistics Day, which is celebrated every five years on October 20.

It also aims to raise public awareness about the importance of statistics in socio-economic planning. It encourages the use of statistical tools and techniques in addressing real-world challenges.

Exp. India beat South Africa by 7 runs to win ICC T20 World Cup 2024

India ended their 13-year wait for an ICC Cricket World Cup trophy when they beat South Africa by seven runs to lift the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in a thrilling final at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

India also became the first team to win the men’s T20 World Cup without losing a game all tournament. India won all eight matches they played in the tournament, and had one washout: the first-round game against Canada.

With 281 runs from Eight games, Rahmanullah Gurbaz of Afghanistan is the top scorer in the T20 World Cup 2024. While Rohit Sharma was second in the list with 257 runs at a strike rate of 156.70.

Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi was the joint highest wicket-taker with along with India’s Arshdeep Singh – 17 wickets.

Player of the match – Virat Kohli (India)

Player of the tournament – Jasprit Bumrah (India)