19th June, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
India’s Refusal to Sign Ukraine Declaration at Swiss Conference

• At the recent Summit on Peace in Ukraine hosted by Switzerland, India opted not to sign the final communique alongside several other nations. This decision stemmed from India’s strategic relationship with Russia, its primary defense supplier, and Moscow’s absence from the summit, which India deemed crucial for any lasting peace agreement involving Ukraine.
• At the recent Summit on Peace in Ukraine hosted by Switzerland, India opted not to sign the final communique alongside several other nations. This decision stemmed from India’s strategic relationship with Russia, its primary defense supplier, and Moscow’s absence from the summit, which India deemed crucial for any lasting peace agreement involving Ukraine.
• India refrained from signing the final communique, citing the absence of Russia and the need for inclusive dialogue for a sustainable peace solution.

IFC Investment in Brookfield’s Bikaner Solar Power Project

• The International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, has committed $105 million (approximately Rs 871 crore) to Brookfield’s Bikaner Solar Power project in Rajasthan. This investment will be in the form of non-convertible debentures, supporting the expansion of renewable energy infrastructure in India.
• Brookfield Global Transition Fund (BGTF) is developing a 550 MW solar power project in Bikaner, Rajasthan, divided into two phases. The first phase of 268 MW was commissioned in March 2024, with the second phase adding 282 MW, totaling 550 MW. The estimated cost of the second phase is USD 317 million. The project is connected to India’s interstate transmission system and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 804,408 tons of CO2 annually.
• The Bikaner solar project will supply green energy through long-term power purchase agreements to commercial and industrial clients, as well as participate in the merchant market via power exchanges. This initiative aligns with India’s goal to significantly increase its non-fossil fuel-based power capacity to 500 GW by 2030, contributing to global efforts to mitigate climate change.
• The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is a member of the World Bank Group, established in 1956 to support private sector development in developing countries.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Dhruva Space’s Thybolt Satellites Complete 15,000 Orbits

• Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based space tech startup, has successfully completed its maiden mission with the Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 satellites. These satellites have securely deorbited after completing 15,000 orbits around Earth. Launched aboard ISRO’s PSLV C54 in November 2022, this achievement marks a significant milestone for the company.
• The Thybolt satellites carried a Store-and-Forward payload, designed to receive messages from sensor nodes or remote ground stations.
• The satellites were built using Dhruva Space’s P-DoT platform, a picosatellite platform for satellites weighing between 1-24 kg. Dhruva Space also developed the P30 nanosatellite platform (1-30 kg) and the P90 platform (up to 300 kg). These satellites were entirely constructed in Hyderabad with the help of around 20 MSMEs.
• Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 completed 15,000 orbits and successfully deorbited.

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ENVIRONMENT
Bonn Climate Conference 2024 Concludes in Bonn, Germany

• The mid-year climate discussions in Bonn, Germany, concluded recently with limited progress, raising concerns for a potentially challenging road ahead to the COP29 summit to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, later this year.
• The 60th session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB60), also known as the Bonn Climate Change Conference, aimed to pave the way for COP29 by tackling critical issues related to climate action.
• The upcoming COP29, to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from November 11-22, 2024, will expand on the agenda established in COP28 in Dubai. Key agenda items include:
• Building on COP28’s agenda to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and transition away from fossil fuels.
• Securing consensus on limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
• Addressing the unfulfilled $100 billion annual climate finance commitment from developed countries, including setting a new target and determining whether the funds will be grants or loans.

AWARDS
Filmmaker Vinod Ganatra Honoured with Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award

• Eminent children’s filmmaker Vinod Ganatra has become the first Indian to be conferred with South Africa’s prestigious ‘Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award’ for his outstanding contribution to children’s cinema. The award was presented to him at the 7th Nelson Mandela Children’s Film Festival.
• Globally renowned filmmaker and editor from Gujarat, based in Mumbai
• Edited and directed about 400 documentaries and newsreels
• Produced 25 multilingual television programs for children and youth
• His first TV program, ‘Baingan Raja,’ won the ‘Janakinath Gaur Award’ from Doordarshan
• His Gujarati film ‘Harun Arun,’ made on the India-Pakistan border, received the ‘Liv Ullmann Peace Prize’ at the 26th Chicago International Children’s Film Festival
• The only Indian to have won the prestigious ‘Liv Ullmann Peace Prize’
• Recipient of 36 national and international awards
• Awarded the ‘Dadasheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award’ by the Association of Film and Video Editors
• Served as a jury member for over 100 national, regional, and international film festivals worldwide