18th June, 2024 Current Affairs

NATIONAL
India Advances in Drone Warfare with Nagastra-1 Deployment

• India has achieved a significant milestone in its defense capabilities with the induction of the indigenous Nagastra-1 kamikaze drones developed by Solar Industries, based in Nagpur. This deployment addresses the escalating drone-related incidents along India’s Northern borders, highlighting the critical need for advanced indigenous drone technologies in combat applications.
• The Indian Army has procured 480 units of the Nagastra-1 Loiter Munition from Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, under an emergency purchase agreement.
• The advent of Nagastra-1 underscores India’s strategic advancement in utilizing drones as force multipliers in military operations. Globally, drones have proven their effectiveness in conflicts such as the Armenia-Azerbaijan war and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. The deployment of Nagastra-1 marks a crucial step towards bolstering India’s defense technology sector and achieving self-reliance in critical defense capabilities.

GAIL to Set Up India’s Largest Ethane Cracker Project with Rs 60,000 Crore Investment in MP

• GAIL (India) plans to establish a 1500 KTA Ethane Cracker Project in Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, with an estimated capex of Rs 60,000 crore. The project aims to produce a range of ethylene derivatives, bolstering the petrochemical infrastructure in the region.
• The project will be situated in Ashta, District Sehore, spanning approximately 800 hectares. The Madhya Pradesh Industrial Development Corporation Limited is facilitating land acquisition for the project, with the state government already initiating the process.
• The estimated investment for the Ethane Cracker Project is Rs 60,000 crore, marking it as the largest of its kind in India. This significant investment underscores GAIL’s commitment to enhancing India’s petrochemical industry.

National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Celebrates Its 4th Foundation Day

• The National Commission for Indian Medical Systems organized a two-day National Conference, ‘PRANA’ Protecting Rights and Novelties in ASUS (Mind to Market for Indian System of Medicines [ISM] Professionals) in Collaboration with All India Council for Technical Education and Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell to mark its fourth foundation.
• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine is a statutory and regulatory body of 29 members, formed by Government of India for framing policies for institutions engaged in Indian System of Medicine and medical professionals. It replaced the Central Council of Indian Medicine on 07 October 2020.

Also Read: May 9th Current Affairs GK quiz: Top 15 GK Questions Quiz on Major International Organizations and Their Headquarters

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INTERNATIONAL
India Participates in the Summit on Peace in Ukraine

• Shri Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West) in the Ministry of External Affairs, represented India at the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, hosted by Switzerland at Burgenstock on June 15-16, 2024.
• India attended the Opening and Closing Plenary Sessions of the Summit but did not align itself with any communique or document that emerged. This highlights India’s consistent and independent approach to achieving a peaceful resolution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
• India’s participation in the Summit, along with its involvement in previous NSA/Political Director-level meetings based on Ukraine’s Peace Formula, demonstrates its commitment to a lasting and peaceful resolution.

Cyril Ramaphosa Secures Second Term as South African President

• South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was reelected by lawmakers for a second term on June 14, after his party struck a dramatic late coalition deal with a former political foe just hours before the vote.
•  Ramaphosa won the vote against Julius Malema, leader of the far-left Economic Freedom Fighters, winning 283 votes to Malema’s 44.
• The election took place on May 29, with 339 ballot papers issued and counted, and 12 ballots declared invalid. Ramaphosa secured 283 votes, while Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema received 44 votes. Ramaphosa was nominated for the presidency by ANC Member of Parliament Mdumiseni Ntuli and seconded by Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) leader and MP Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Peter Pellegrini Sworn in as Slovakia’s President Amid Political Tensions

• In a ceremony marked by heightened security following an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, Peter Pellegrini has been inaugurated as Slovakia’s sixth president. His victory in the runoff election solidified Fico’s influence, maintaining control over strategic positions in the government. Pellegrini, known for his advocacy of a strong state role, previously served as Parliament’s speaker and aligned closely with Fico’s policies.
• Prime Minister Fico, recovering from a recent assassination attempt, did not attend Pellegrini’s swearing-in, underscoring ongoing political turbulence in Slovakia. Fico’s Smer party, victorious in recent elections, faces criticism for its pro-Russian policies and restrictive media reforms.

AWARDS
2024 Kavli Prize Awarded In Astrophysics, Nanoscience & Neuroscience

• The winners of the 2024 Kavli Prize were announced on June 12. Eight winners were awarded for their contributions to astrophysics, neuroscience, and nanoscience.
• The inaugural prize was announced in 2008, and awarded to seven scientists. Till date, 73 scientists from 19 countries have been honoured with the biennial award. Ten of them have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.
• This year’s prize for astrophysics has been awarded to David Charbonneau of Harvard University, and Sara Seager, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The duo have been recognised for discoveries of exoplanets, and the characterisation of their atmosphere. The citation states that the contributions of Charbonneau and Seager included pioneering “methods for the detection of atomic species in planetary atmospheres and the measurement of their thermal infrared emission, thus setting the stage for finding the molecular fingerprints of atmospheres around both giant and rocky planets”.
• Robert Langer of MIT, Armand Paul Alivisatos of the University of Chicago, and Chad Mirkin of Northwestern University were given the prize for nanoscience.
• The prize in neuroscience has been awarded to Nancy Kanwisher of MIT, Winrich Freiwald of Rockefeller University, and Doris Tsao of the University of California at Berkeley.

C-DOT Wins UN WSIS Award for Disaster Resilience Technology

• The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), established on August 24, 1984, by the Government of India, is a premier telecom research and development centre. Its mission is to revolutionize the telecom sector in India by developing cutting-edge technologies and products tailored to Indian conditions.
• At the WSIS+20 Forum High-Level Event 2024, held from May 27 to 31 in Geneva, Switzerland, C-DOT received the prestigious ‘Champion’ award under the AI, C-7, E-environment category for its project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting.”
• C-DOT has developed an end-to-end mobile-enabled Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting Platform to deliver real-time messages during emergencies. This innovative solution allows mobile operators to send text messages to users in specific locations through mobile cell towers, effectively disseminating critical information during natural disasters, such as cyclones or earthquakes, or any other emergency situation.

Nar Singh, Rohini Lokhande win Dilip Bose Lifetime Achievement Award

• The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has announced the Dilip Bose award for lifetime achievement to coach Nar Singh. The first award would be presented to the 69-year-old Rohini Lokhande who was a member of the national team along with Kiran Bedi, Nirupama Mankad, Susan Das and Udaya Kumar, before she took to coaching at a young age.
• Dilip Bose was a professional tennis player from India. He played for the Indian Davis Cup squad and was the Asian championship winner.
• The 65-year-old Nar Singh, who has served as a coach and educator for several years, will be the 11th recipient of the Dilip Bose award. His eldest brother Balram Singh was chosen for the award in 2011.
• Rohini Lokhande became the first female National Institute of Sports qualified tennis instructor. Thousands of players in all age groups have received her instruction, and she has assisted many in becoming certified coaches.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Scientists Discover Smallest Great Ape That Only Grew to Size of Toddler

• Scientists have discovered a new species of great ape which lived 11 million years ago and only ever grew to the size of a human toddler, making it the smallest known to science. The now-extinct ape species, which has been named Buroniusmanfredschmidi, was uncovered at the Hammerschmiede fossil site in Bavaria.
• From the size of the fossils, the authors estimate that Buronius weighed around 10kg. Roughly the same as a French bulldog, making the new species the “smallest known hominid taxon” (great ape).
• Based on the structure of the teeth and patella, Böhme says that the new species was an adept climber and had a diet comprising soft foods “that may have also included a significant fibrous component”, such as leaves.
• These features suggest that Buronius had a distinct lifestyle from Danuvius, which had a diet of tougher foods.
• It’s likely that these differences in food choices allowed the two species to share a habitat without competing for resources, in the same way modern gibbons and orangutans share habitats in Borneo and Sumatra. This is the first known example of a European Miocene fossil site with multiple ancient ape species.

Published date : 19 Jun 2024 09:50AM