Daily Current Affairs Quiz: June 19, 2024

ANSWER : C

Celebrated on June 20

• Theme : Hope Away from Home: A World Where Refugees Are Always Included.
• Aim : to celebrate and honour refugees from around the world.
• First established on 20 June 2001, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees by United Nation.

ANSWER : B

Current Context : Indian Army received First indigenous Loitering Munition suicide drones Nagastra-1

ABOUT

• Nagastra, is an UAV-based system, functions like an aerial ambush.
• Developed by Solar Industries’ Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL) Nagpur.
• Nagastra-1 is a type of “loitering munition.” This means it can hover over a designated area, identifying and locking onto targets before launching a precise attack, even mid-flight.
• Capable to fly at an altitude of over 4,500 meters, making it undetectable by radar.
• Weight approximately 9 kg.
• Equipped with GPS-enabled guidance systems for accurate targeting within a 2-meter radius with an endurance of 30 minutes and a range of up to 30 km.

ANSWER: A

Current Context : India is manufacturing its own long-range air defence system (Iron Dome) and plans to deploy it by 2028-2029.

• The system is being developed by DRDO under the ambitious Project Kusha.

ABOUT PROJECT KUSHA

• Project Kusha’ is set to provide the Indian Air Force (IAF) with a long-range air defence
• Aim : to detect and destroy various hostile targets, including cruise missiles, stealth fighter jets, and drones at extended ranges.
• The ambitious indigenous project will be developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at an estimated budget of Rs 21,700 crore.
• Drawing parallels with Israel’s renowned Iron Dome system, ‘Project Kusha’ is expected to not only match but potentially surpass the capabilities of its Israeli counterpart.

KEY FEATURES:

• The long-range surface-to-air defence system (LR-SAM) incorporates advanced long-range surveillance and fire control radars, which empower the IAF to effectively monitor airspace and fend off enemy threats.
• Interceptor missiles, with ranges of 150 km, 200 km and 350 km, provide the ability to detect and strike hostile targets at different distances.
• It will also be effective in providing strategic and tactical cover.
• The system reportedly has a single-shot kill chance of at least 80% and over 90% when two missiles are fired after each other.
• The firing units of ‘Project Kusha‘ can seamlessly integrate with the IAF’s air command and control system, facilitating coordination with a wide range of military radars.

ANSWER : D
Current Context : Recently, 2024 Kavli Prize winners were announced to honoring great work in neuroscience, astrophysics and nanoscience.

• Eight well-known scholars from American colleges were recognized for their groundbreaking work in these areas.

WINNERS

• ASTROPHYSICS : David Charbonneau and Sara Seager.
• NANOSCIENCE : Robert Langer, Armand Paul Alivisatos, and Chad Mirkin
• NEUROSCIENCE : Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald, and Doris Tsao made big steps toward understanding how facial recognition works in the brain.

ABOUT KAVLI PRIZE

• The Kavli Prize is named after Norwegian-American philanthropist Fred Kavli, donors’ significant achievements in astrophysics, neuroscience, and nanoscience.
• Established by the Kavli Foundation in 2000.
• Aim : to support wide-ranging basic research to improve the quality of life for people worldwide.
• The prize is awarded biennially and includes a $1 million cash award per field, along with a medal and a scroll.
• The inaugural prize was announced in 2008 and awarded to seven scientists.

ANSWER : B

Current Context : The 2nd meeting of the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) was held between the two countries in New Delhi.

ABOUT ICET

• The iCET was announced by India and the US in May 2022 and was officially launched in January 2023.
• It is being run by the National Security Council of both countries.
• Aim : to promote collaboration in critical and emerging technology areas, including AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and wireless telecommunication.
• Under iCET, both countries have identified six areas of cooperation which would include co-development and co-production, that would gradually be expanded to QUAD, then to NATO, followed by Europe and the rest of the world.
• Under iCET, India is ready to share its core technologies with the US and expects Washington to do the same.

FOCUS AREAS OF THE INITIATIVE:

• AI research agency partnership.
• Defense industrial cooperation, defense technological cooperation, and defense startups.
• Innovation Ecosystems.
• Semiconductor ecosystem
• Cooperation on human spaceflight.
• Advancement in 5G and 6G technologies, and adoption of OpenRAN network technology in India.

PROGRESS MADE SO FAR:

• Key achievements include the Quantum Coordination Mechanism, public-private dialogue on telecommunication, important exchanges on AI and space, MoU on establishing a semiconductor supply chain, and conclusion of a roadmap for defense industrial
• The two countries are close to finalizing a mega jet engine deal, and a new initiative called the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) is set to be launched.
• Strategic Trade Dialogue has been established to address regulatory barriers and review export control norms.

ANSWER : C

Current Context : Due to shortage of pilots, Air India is establishing a school in Maharashtra’s Amravati.

• It will train up to 180 pilots annually.
• Air India has selected approximately 30 single-engine and four multi-engine aircraft from Piper, an American company, and Diamond, a European manufacturer, for its training fleet.

ANSWER : D

Current Context : India-made TB diagnostics technology (Truenat) wins acclaim at 77 World Health Assembly in Geneva.

ABOUT

• The Truenat platform is a rapid molecular test for the diagnosis of pulmonary, extrapulmonary and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis.
• Developed by Goa-based Molbio, is a molecular diagnostics company.
• Launched in
• It is a portable, battery-operated machine that can be deployed at labs, health centres, and in the field.
• Truenat delivers results from samples in less than an hour and can test for over 40 diseases.

ANSWER : A

Current Context : Piplu fair is to be organised in Piplu village in the Bangana subdivision of Una from June 17 to 19.

About Fair

• The fair is celebrated on the occasion of ‘Nirjala Ekadashi’ at the Nar Singh temple located in the village.
• Thousands of devotees from Una, Hamirpur, Kangra and Bilaspur districts pay reverence to Nar Singh deity at the temple.
• They also offer a part of their agriculture produce to the deity, seeking blessings for good health and prosperity, besides praying for a bountiful harvest during the next season.

Historical Prospectus

• According to a legend, a villager had a dream that an idol of Nar Singh was buried in the nearby forest and he dug the area and unearthed a stone idol, which was kept under a dry peepal tree near his house and started worshiping it.
• In no time, the tree began to bear leaves and came back to life.
• The villagers built a small temple and began worshiping the deity.
• In the local dialect, ‘peepal’ is known as ‘piplu’ so the the village was named Piplu.

ANSWER : B

Current Context : Himachal government plans to build centre of excellence for differently-abled in Kandaghat, Solan.

Aim : to provide essential facilities for differently-abled students, and to identify appropriate courses for visually and hearing-impaired students.

• It is collaborted with PWD for laying the groundwork and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment for researching various national institute models.
• This facility will provide education and comprehensive amenities to differently-abled and adults up to age of 27, covering 300 students and providing playgrounds and residential accommodation in Tikkari village of Kandaghat area.