July 2024 Current Affairs MCQ Questions and Answers

TDP’s Narsipatnam MLA C Ayyannapatrudu was elected
unanimously as the Speaker of the 16th Andhra Pradesh
Legislative Assembly. Only three nominations were
received for the Speaker’s post, and they all were on
behalf of Ayyannapatrudu, said PPK Ramacharyulu,
secretary general, Legislative Assembly.

Uttar Pradesh announced the establishment of ‘Mitra Van’ in its border districts.

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with
Disabilities (DEPwD) took a significant step towards
empowering persons with disabilities by signing two
important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). The
first MoU was signed between “DEPwD” and “Enable
Me” Access Association (EMA), and the second MoU was
signed between the Indian Sign Language Research and
Training Center (ISLRTC) and YUNIKEE.

Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj
Singh Chouhan launched the web portal developed
jointly by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’Welfare (DA&FW) and NABARD to automate and speed
up the process of settlement of interest subvention
claims of banks submitted under the Agriculture
Infrastructure Fund (AIF).

 The Ministry of Earth Sciences will lead India’s implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

Chhattisgarh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Sampoorna Poshan Yojana’ to combat malnutrition among children.

Saudi Arabia and the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) have announced a 12-year agreement to host the
new esports Olympics in the oil-rich kingdom starting
next year. The partnership promises “Olympic Esports
Games held regularly”, the International Olympic
Committee said in a statement.

Powered by Coal India Limited the NIRMAN (Noble
Initiative for Rewarding Mains Aspirants of National Civil
Services Examination) portal aims to offer Rs 1 lakh to
eligible candidates of the UPSC examination. The
financial support of Rs 1 lakh will be provided to the UPSC
examination qualified candidates, who have an annual
family income of less than Rs 800,000.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was officially presented
with Russia’s highest civilian honor, the Order of St
Andrew the Apostle the First-Called, by Russian
President Vladimir Putin at a ceremony in St Catherine’s
Hall of the Moscow Kremlin.

Madhya Pradesh launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Bal Samvardhan Yojana’ to support the education of orphaned children.

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan signed an MoU to implement the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) inter-state river linking project.

The Reserve Bank of India, in agreement with the
Government of India, introduced a revised Framework
on Currency Swap Arrangement for SAARC countries.
This arrangement allows SAARC central banks to access
financial support in the form of currency swaps, with a
total corpus of ₹250 billion in rupee support and
additional provisions for US Dollar and Euro swaps.

The government has appointed Robert Jerard Ravi as the
new Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Sanchar
Nigam Limited (BSNL) effective July 15, denying
extension to outgoing PK Purwar, who served as the CMD
of BSNL and MTNL since July 2019.

The states of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan signed an MoU to implement the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal (PKC) inter-state river linking project.

LIC announced the launch of ‘Jeevan Samarth’, an
initiative aimed at transforming the agency ecosystem.
To achieve this, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has
partnered with AT Kearney, which will undertake this
agency transformation project by reviewing its existing
agency framework on an end-to-end basis.

The Uttar Pradesh government approved the ‘CM Tourism Fellowship Programme’ to foster research and investment in tourism.

The agreement to develop a film city was signed to establish it in Greater Noida.

 Muchu Chhish, a mountain in Pakistan, was summited for the first time by three men.

New Delhi hosted the Global Artificial Intelligence Summit and Awards (GAISA) 2024.

The Bhuvan Panchayat Geoportal 4.0 was developed by the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC).

APEDA is the implementing agency for the Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) for organic products between India and Taiwan.

Dhiraj Bommadevara picked up two bronze medals on
the final day of Archery World Cup Stage III at Antalya,
Turkey. The women’s compound team of Jyothi Surekha
Vennam, Aditi Swami and Parneet Kaur bagged the gold,
while Priyansh clinched the silver in compound individual
event.

For the first National Space Day, which will fall on August
23, to commemorate the safe landing of the Vikram
Lander near the southern polar region of the moon, the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be
organising Bharatiya Antariksh Hackathon.

Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB), sponsored by Canara Bank, has received the national award for significant enrolment under the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA)

Frances H. Arnold was honored with the 2025 Priestley Medal for distinguished service to chemistry.

Indian Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi was on an
official visit to Bangladesh for four days from July 1 to 4.
The visit was aimed at consolidating bilateral defence
relations between India and Bangladesh and exploring
new avenues for Naval cooperation, a Navy press release
said.

The Mukhyamantri Yuva Karya Prashikshan Yojana was launched in Maharashtra to empower the youth.

Secretary of State for Defence Sanjay Seth launched the
“GRSE Accelerated Innovation Nurturing Scheme (GAINS
2024)” of Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers
Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata. This innovative scheme aims
to address challenges in the shipbuilding industry and
promote technological advancements by leveraging the
expertise of start-ups and MSMEs in the country.

The Reserve Bank of India and ASEAN countries have
decided to create a platform to facilitate instant crossborder retail payments. In a statement, RBI said it has
joined the Project Nexus, a multilateral international
initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments
by interlinking domestic fast payments systems (FPSs).

Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary said the Ministry of
Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has created the SIDH (Skilling India Digital Hub) portal and the
beneficiaries will receive complete information about all
schemes running for them.

Candidates for the TRAI chairperson role must have at least 30 years of professional experience if they have never served in government.

The 3D hydrogel culture system to study TB was developed by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari
has inaugurated the newly established Weapon Systems
School (WSS) at Air Force Station Begumpet, Hyderabad.
This follows the approval for the creation of a new
Weapon System (WS) branch in 2022.

UNESCO introduced the ‘New World Soil Health Index’ to standardize soil quality assessment globally.

The Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (inStem) developed an anti-insecticide fabric that neutralizes organophosphate-based pesticides.

Kerala launched an inclusive sports manual to promote the sporting talents of differently-abled children.

NASA is set to launch the ‘Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO)’ in 2040 to search for extraterrestrial life.

The Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan governments has
signed an agreement for the implementation of the Rs
72,000 crore Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking
project. The link project will help utilise the available
water resources of the Chambal basin optimally and
economically.

 The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) organized a national conclave in New Delhi.

NPCI International Payments (NIPL) signed an agreement with Qatar National Bank (QNB) to launch QR-code-based UPI payments in Qatar.

Belarus officially became the 10th permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

China announced the construction of the world’s first commercial high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable network.

Japan has hit the jackpot by finding huge mineral
deposits near an isolated island in the country’s exclusive
economic zone. According to researchers, the mineral
resources found on the seabed near Minami-Torishima
are enough to meet the country’s cobalt consumption
needs for 75 years, and it also has over a decade’s supply
of nickel.

Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education was
inaugurated at the Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in
Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district. The centre will serve as a
repository of knowledge, housing invaluable data and
insights in Olympics, training methodologies, sports
science and athlete development.

Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra has implemented an advanced AI system for the early detection of forest fires.

The country’s employment rate grew by 6 per cent in the
fiscal year ended March 31, 2024 from a growth of 3.2
per cent in 2022-23, according to the Reserve Bank of
India’s data. Employment in the country increased by
4.67 crore to 64.33 crore (provisional) in the fiscal year
2023-24, from 59.67 crore in 2022-23.

Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Tapan Kumar Deka was
given a one-year extension till June 2025, according to a
Personnel Ministry order. Deka is a 1988-batch Indian
Police Service (IPS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh
cadre.

Tata Asset Management Company on July 8 launched the
nation’s first tourism index fund, comprising a collection
of companies forming part of the Nifty 500. The Tata
Nifty India Tourism Index Fund will track the Nifty India
Tourism Index. The NFO was closed on July 19, 2024.

India concluded their campaign at the Under-17 Asian
Wrestling Championships in Amman, Jordan, on a
resounding note. The young Indian contingent clinched a
total of 11 medals, including four gold, two silver, and
five bronze medals.

State-owned Punjab & Sind Bank has signed an initial
agreement with the Indian Army on defence salary
package which will come with a host of facilities, including free insurance cover. Besides many features,
the MoU provides the serving personnel, veterans and
trainees with personal accident insurance
(Death/Disability) cover up to Rs 1 crore and an air
accidental cover of Rs 1.2 crore.

The Gujarat government signed an MoU with IBM to promote an AI Cluster at GIFT City.

The TEAM scheme, designed to boost e-commerce access for MSEs, will be implemented by the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC).

Rajasthan launched the ‘Mera Yuva, Mera Gaurav’ campaign to celebrate youth achievements.

India has organised a global event in sugar sector ‘ISO
Council Meeting’ in New Delhi from 25th till 27th June,
2024. International Sugar Organisation (ISO) is a UN
affiliated body having HQ at London. ISO has about 85
countries as members covering almost 90% of sugar
production in the World.

New Delhi will host the 9th edition of the India-ASEAN Business Summit.

 India launched the ‘SAMARTH’ digital platform to promote skill development in the textile sector.

The ‘InFLiMeN’ initiative was launched in collaboration with France to address metabolic liver diseases.

Vikram Misri has been appointed as India’s 35th Foreign Secretary.

The ‘Order of St Andrew the Apostle’ is the highest civilian honor of Russia, presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released an
Artificial Intelligence Preparedness Index (AIPI)
Dashboard on their website, tracking 174 economies
globally for AI readiness. India ranks 72 in a total of 174
countries, with Bangladesh (0.38) on 113, Sri Lanka (0.43)
on 92, and China (0.63) on 31.

The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), a regional security
grouping, officially welcomed Bangladesh as its fifth
member state. The announcement came during the 8th
Deputy National Security Adviser (DNSA) level meeting,
hosted virtually by Mauritius.

Karnataka launched the ‘Naavu Manujaru’ programme to improve students’ capacity for independent and rational thinking.

Correct Answer: D
Between FY14 and FY23, India generated 125 million
jobs, which is 4.3 times more than the preceding decadal
period of FY04-FY14, a State Bank of India (SBI) report
showed. Besides, the report also noted that the total
employment reported by micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs) registered with the MSME Ministry
has crossed 200 million.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs launched the ‘Smart Cities Mission Dashboard’ to monitor the progress of smart city projects across India.

• Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS)

The Union rural development ministry signed an MoU
with a company to facilitate sustainable transport for
members of women self-help groups by providing ebicycles. The agreement was signed with the Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) for sustainable transport for rural entrepreneurs through electric bicycles (STREE) for the SHGs that come under
the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

Jharkhand is working on a plan to open eastern India’s first university for physically challenged students.

Every year, World Allergy Week is observed to create
awareness. From June 23 to June 29, the World Allergy
Week is observed annually to spread awareness about
such complications and help eradicate them. Allergies
are on the rise in both developed and developing
nations, so it’s important to educate people about the
measures they can take to reduce their risk.

Keir Starmer is set to become Britain’s next Prime Minister.

The first Mother Ship ‘MV San Fernando’ was received at India’s first deep-water container transshipment port in Vizhinjam, Kerala.

António Costa, the former Prime Minister of Portugal,
was elected as the President of the European Council.
Costa, known for his efforts to revitalize Lisbon and
Portugal, is the first Portuguese leader to hold this
prestigious position. He is also recognized for his Indian
heritage and received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman in
2017.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar along with Sri
Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe jointly unveiled
the virtual plaque to mark the formal commissioning of
the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre built with a
USD 6 million grant from India.

Japan deployed an upgraded Earth observation satellite
for disaster response and security after it was launched
on a new flagship H3 rocket. The Advanced Land
Observation Satellite, or ALOS-4, is tasked primarily with
Earth observation and data collection for disaster
response and mapmaking.

The Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions is spearheading the implementation of the ‘e-office’ platform.

India won two titles in the Asian doubles squash
championships, which concluded in Johor (Malaysia),
with Abhay Singh recording a ‘double’. Abhay Singh and
Velavan Senthilkumar were crowned the men’s doubles
champions before Abhay Singh combined with Joshna
Chinappa for the mixed doubles crown.

The eSwasthya Dham portal, integrated with ABDM, is associated with Uttarakhand.

The value of defense production in India during FY 2023-24 reached ₹1,26,887 crore.

SEVENTEEN was named UNESCO’s first Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.

National Statistics Day is celebrated on June 29 every
year to acknowledge and appreciate the exceptional
contributions made by statisticians in India, particularly
honoring the birth anniversary of eminent statistician
(Late) Prof. Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis. For 2024,
the theme is “Use of Data for Decision Making”.

The trilateral multi-domain exercise ‘Freedom Edge’ was conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

National Space Day (NSpD 2024) will be celebrated on 23 August 2024.

 Sulekha Kumbhare was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities.

 ISRO plans to build a mission operations complex dedicated to Human Spaceflight Missions.

Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)
has joined hands with Mastercard to promote
cooperation and information sharing in the area of Cyber
security related to the financial sector. The two have
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under
which they will leverage their shared expertise with
regards to financial sector in the fields of cybersecurity
incident response, capacity building, sharing cyber threat
intelligence specific to financial sector and advanced
malware analysis.

The Moidams, burial sites for Ahom royalty, are located in Assam.

The platform named Krishi Katha was launched to provide Indian farmers with a digital voice.

From June 15 to 21, Punjab Police, in partnership with
the Border Security Force (BSF) and Village Defence

Committees (VDCs), launched “Mission Nishchay,” a one-
week anti-drug campaign in Fazilka district. The effort

sought to increase community participation in
combating the drug problem, with a particular emphasis
on young and women.

HDFC Life’s ‘Bridge the Gap’ campaign is designed to raise
awareness about the importance and benefits of life
insurance in India. The initiative includes on-ground
activities and digital content, such as chat shows in collaboration with ET NOW, to educate the public on
various aspects of financial planning and life insurance.

According to Section 59(b) of the Telecommunications Act, candidates for the TRAI chairperson role must have at least 30 years of professional experience if they have never served in government.

Last day India ascended one spot from the ninth to the
eighth rank in the medal tally. Overall, India’s medal tally
increased to 29, including three gold, six silver, and 20
bronze medals. Russian Federation with 262 gold, 141
silver, and 99 bronze medals continues to stay on top of
the tally.

The ‘One District One Product’ (ODOP) gift catalogue was launched in partnership with Invest India.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences will spearhead India’s implementation of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement.

The Interest Equalisation Scheme is implemented by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to support MSME exporters.

ech Mahindra introduced ‘Project Indus,’ a foundational model that supports multiple Indic languages and dialects.

ABHYAS’ was designed by the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and has successfully completed multiple trials.

In a bid to zero-emission trucks (ZETs) adoption in the
country, NITI Aayog in collaboration with IIM Bangalore,
Smart Freight Centre India, CALSTART/Drive to Zero and
WRI India announced the launch of the NITI GearShift
Challenge as part of the e-FAST India initiative.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a USD 60
million nonconvertible debentures financing agreement,
disbursing USD 30 million to Aadhar Housing Finance
Limited (AHFL) to provide housing loans to women and
address the shortage of financing in the low-income and
affordable housing segment in India.

The book “The Book of Compassion” was co-authored by Dalai Lama and Kailash Satyarthi.

1. Chockalingam was selected for the Hans Von Hentig Award, the highest honor of the World Society of Victimology (WSV).

The Reserve Bank of India and ASEAN countries have
decided to create a platform to facilitate instant crossborder retail payments. In a statement, RBI said it has
joined the Project Nexus, a multilateral international
initiative to enable instant cross-border retail payments
by interlinking domestic fast payments systems (FPSs).

The Expat Insider 2024 survey, conducted by
InterNations, drew participation from over 12,000
expatriates across 174 countries, offering a comprehensive view of expat life worldwide. The rankings revealed Vietnam as the most affordable country for immigrants, securing the top position for the fourth consecutive year.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has launched two
geoportals namely ‘Bhuvan Panchayat (Ver 4.0)” portal
for rural land records and “National Database for
Emergency Management (NDEM Ver 5.0)” developed by
Indian Space research Organization (ISRO), at Prithvi
Bhavan, New Delhi.

Hero of India’s victorious T20 World Cup campaign,
Jasprit Bumrah added another feather to his cap when
he was named the ‘ICC Men’s Player of the Month for
June’. It was double delight for India as women’s team
vice-captain Smriti Mandhana was also named the
‘Women’s Player of the Month’ by the global body.

HDFC Bank has launched a new digital investment
platform to take wealth services to every Indian and
make investments simple and transparent. Incorporating
cutting-edge technology, the HDFC Bank ‘SmartWealth’
comes loaded with first-ever features that allow
investors to make the right investment decisions and
plan their financial journey.

India’s peak population is likely to be 1.701 billion, and
the country is expected to reach that mark in 2062,
according to the World Population Prospects report
published by the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (DESA). The report also
showed that currently, India is the most populous
country in the world. It is home to 1.451 billion people.

Capital market regulator SEBI increased a threshold
applicable to basic service demat accounts by five times
to Rs 10 lakh from the existing Rs 2 lakh, in a move aimed
at enhancing investor participation. SEBI said that the
new guidelines will take effect from September 1.

The ‘Mukhyamantri Nirman Shramikon Ke Bachchon Hetu Nishulk Coaching Sahaayata Yojana’ has been launched by the Chhattisgarh state government.

Paraguay has become the 100th country to join the
International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member. The
ISA, co-founded by India and France during the 2015
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) in
Paris, aims to promote solar energy deployment
worldwide.

Military College of Telecommunication Engineering
(MCTE), Indian Army and Society for Applied Microwave
Electronics Engineering and Research (SAMEER), an
autonomous Research and Development laboratory
under the Ministry of Electronics and Information
Technology (MeitY) has signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to advance collaboration in ‘Next
Generation Wireless Technologies for Indian Army’.

 LIC launched the ‘MaanDhan’ scheme to provide social security to unorganized workers in India.

The ‘Freedom Edge’ exercise was conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan as their first trilateral multi-domain exercise.

India has made history by preparing a comprehensive
checklist of its entire fauna, covering 1,04,561 species,
becoming the first country in the world to achieve this
feat. The ‘Fauna of India Checklist Portal’ was launched
on the occasion of the 109th Foundation Day of the
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) in Kolkata by Union
environment minister Bhupender Yadav.

The four-day Global Conclave on Plastic Recycling and
Sustainability (GCPRS) was held at the Bharat
Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi from 04 July.
India’s plastic recycling industry is rapidly growing, and is
expected to reach $6.9 billion by 2033.

Chhattisgarh will introduce the ‘Mukhyamantri Nirman Shramikon Ke Bachchon Hetu Nishulk Coaching Sahaayata Yojana’ to provide free coaching for the children of construction workers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the ‘Medical Devices Information System’ (MeDevIS).

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has
admitted Belarus as the 10th member of the group.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and the hosts
of the Summit congratulated Belarusian President
Alexander Lukashenko on this occasion.

Union Minister for the Development of the North East
Region Jyotiraditya Scindia has launched the North East
Region Agri Commodity E-Connect (NERACE) designed to
benefit the farmers of the region and help position it as
a hub of high-value horticultural products in the
international market.

Veteran bureaucrat Bharat Lal was given one-year
extension as secretary general of the National Human
Rights Commission (NHRC). Lal, a 1988 batch (retired)
Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer of the Gujarat cadre,
was in June last year appointed to the post.

Ian Finley was selected as the recipient of the International Maritime Prize for 2023.

Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India has elevated Mazagon
Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), India’s premier
warship and submarine builders to Navratna category.
The company posted a consolidated annual turnover of
Rs. 9,467 crore and net profit of Rs. 1845 crore for the FY
2023-24.

China led the world in generative artificial intelligence patents, with over 38,000 filings between 2014 and 2023.

 India is leading the ‘Global Biofuels Alliance,’ which was launched at the G20 Summit.

 Kerala became the first state in India to provide free insulin to children with Type-1 diabetes under the ‘Diabetes Control Program.’

The inaugural International Dairy Federation (IDF) Regional Dairy Conference Asia Pacific-2024 took place in Kochi.

The book ‘Kargil War: The Turning Point’ was authored by Magod Basappa Ravindranath.

 India and Russia have set a trade target of $100 billion by 2030.

Public sector lender State Bank of India (SBI) has
announced MSME Sahaj, an online business loan solution
for MSMEs to avail credit against their Goods and
Services Tax (GST) registered sales invoices of up to Rs 1
lakh. SBI said the new solution will have a turnaround
time of less than 15 minutes, from applying for the loan to documentation and disbursement of the amount
without any manual intervention.

The commerce ministry clarified that the interest
equalisation will be capped at Rs 1.66 crore per IEC
(import-export code) for the July 1-August 31 period.
Last month, the government extended the interest
equalisation scheme (IES) on pre- and post-shipment
rupee export credit for two months to promote the
country’s outbound shipments.

The scheme allows for a maximum reimbursement of Rs 20 crore for exploration expenses.

Karnataka launched the ‘Digital Nagarik and AR-VR Skills’ Programme in collaboration with Meta.

A commemorative coin of ₹100 was released on the 101st birth anniversary of Jawaharlal Darda.

Every year, on June 25th, the international maritime
community comes together to celebrate the
International Day of the Seafarer. This special day is
dedicated to recognizing and honoring the invaluable
contributions of seafarers to the world economy and our
everyday lives.

Sudhaker Shukla was appointed as the new Chairperson of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has been designated as the nodal ministry for the Haj Committee of India.

 Dr. Soumya Swaminathan was appointed as Principal Advisor for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme on a pro bono basis.

Paytm Payments Bank, a subsidiary of One97
Communications (OCL), has appointed Arun Kumar
Bansal as its new Managing Director (MD) and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO). Bansal, previously with IDBI
Bank, left his role as Executive Director and Head of
Treasury at IDBI following the Reserve Bank of India’s
(RBI) approval of his new position.

The Union housing and urban affairs ministry said it has
extended the deadline for the Smart Cities Mission till March 2025, allowing cities to complete ongoing projects, which account for around 10 per cent of the total projects. In a statement, the ministry said the mission has been getting multiple requests from some states to grant some more time to complete the remaining projects.

The Kirti Chakra medal is made of silver.

Professor C V Chandrasekhar, who was associated with Bharatanatyam, passed away recently.

The ‘Zorawar’ light tank was developed by DRDO in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro.

The World Bank launched the ‘Resilient Homes Fund’ to support housing reconstruction in disaster-hit areas.

Gagan Narang has been selected as India’s chef-de-mission for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

State-run REC Limited has secured a green loan
amounting to JPY 31.96 billion (equivalent to $200
million) from Deutsche Bank AG, GIFT City branch,
marking a significant move towards financing sustainable
development in India.

The South Korean boy band SEVENTEEN has been named UNESCO’s first Goodwill Ambassador for Youth.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) introduced two new
guidelines aimed at enhancing the safety of electric
vehicles in the L, M, and N categories. These new sets of
rules, called IS 18590: 2024 and IS 18606: 2024, focus on
the main parts of electric cars, buses, and trucks,
especially the powertrain.

The book titled ‘Imperial Games in Tibet: The Struggle for Statehood and Sovereignty’ was authored by Dilip Sinha.

 Haryana launched the ‘IT Saksham Yuva Scheme, 2024’ aiming to provide job opportunities to 5,000 youths.

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal
Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry and
National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER)
signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in New
Delhi for the development of framework and assessment
of logistics cost in India.

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) launched the ‘Clean Energy for Peace’ initiative to promote renewable energy in conflict zones.

 The Leang Karampuang cave, home to the world’s oldest known cave painting, is located in Indonesia.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was appointed as the Chairperson of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC).

The 24th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of State
(SCO Summit) was held on 04 July 2024 in Astana, under
the presidency of Kazakhstan. External Affairs Minister,
Dr. S. Jaishankar lead the Indian delegation to Astana for
the Summit.

The seven-member high level committee Headed by K.
Radhakrishnan to reform the working of the National
Testing Agency (NTA) constituted by the Ministry of
Education convened for its first meeting on June 24
evening in New Delhi.

India’s Dhruv Sitwala and Anupama Ramachandran
clinched the men’s Asian billards and women’s snooker
titles in the Asian championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
recently. Dhruv set the tone for the match with an
impressive start, scoring 103 points while Pankaj Advani
struggled to get on the board, finishing with 0 points.

The United States has emerged as the top destination for India’s defense exports, accounting for more than 50% of total exports.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) and the Spices
Board of India have signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to develop Artificial intelligence
(AI) tools for detecting and classifying large cardamom
diseases in Sikkim. The project, spearheaded by NIC’s
Centre of Excellence in AI in Kolkata, aims to analyze
images of cardamom leaves to identify diseases early.

The United States is the top destination for India’s defense exports, making up more than 50% of the total.

The ‘Exercise Pitch Black’ military drill was recently initiated in Australia.

The 3D hydrogel culture system developed by IISc Bengaluru is intended to study Tuberculosis (TB).

The BRICS Young Scientist Forum meeting was recently hosted in Kolkata.

The Ministry of Education has unveiled a comprehensive
plan to create tobacco-free educational institutions
across the nation. On World No Tobacco Day, observed
on May 31, 2024, the Department of School Education &
Literacy launched the “ToFEI Implementation Manual.”
This manual, developed under the National Tobacco
Control Programme (NTCP), aims to guide schools in
complying with Tobacco Free Educational Institution
(ToFEI) guidelines.

India has been ranked 63rd on a global Energy Transition
Index released on June 19 by the World Economic Forum.
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.

The first edition of the World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES) will take place in Goa.

ICICI Bank announced the launch of the ‘Student
Sapphiro Forex Card’, a premium prepaid forex card
designed for Indian students pursuing higher education
abroad. Powered by Visa, the card offers a range of
benefits aimed at making overseas financial
management simpler for students and their parents, the
bank said in its press release.

Project PARI (Public Art of India), an initiative by the
Ministry of Culture, Government of India, being executed
by Lalit Kala Akademi and National Gallery of Modern Art
for the 46th World Heritage Committee Meeting, seeks
to bring forth public art that draws inspiration from
millennia of artistic heritage (lok kala/lok sanskriti) while
incorporating modern themes and techniques.

The first sunken museum in India was inaugurated at the
Humayun’s Tomb complex in Delhi. It features
underground galleries that showcase artifacts and
stories related to India’s Mughal heritage. The museum
is designed to blend with the historical environment,
enhancing the visitor experience while preserving the
architectural integrity of the UNESCO World Heritage
site.

The second annual meeting of the initiative on Critical
and Emerging Technologies (iCET) between India and the
US was held in New Delhi. During the two-day meeting,
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his US
counterpart Jake Sullivan reviewed the entire spectrum
of Indo-US strategic ties.

State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has introduced
a new security feature ‘Safety Ring’ within its internet
banking system and mobile banking system in response
to the increasing number of cyber frauds. This
mechanism provides an additional safety layer to
minimise potential losses in case of unauthorised access
by fraudsters.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set a target of achieving $100 billion in electronics exports by FY30.

The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and
TransUnion CIBIL have launched SEHER, a credit
education program to enhance financial literacy and
business skills among women entrepreneurs. This
initiative aims to provide vital support, enabling women
to access the financial tools needed for business growth
and job creation.

 Dr. Vineet Gupta was appointed as the Chairperson of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

In further strengthening the role of the Kiren Rijiju-led
Ministry of Minority Affairs, the government notified the
latter as a nodal ministry instead of Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA), for the Haj Committee. Earlier, the work
related to management of Haj pilgrimage, including
administration of the Haj Committee Act, 2002, and rules
made thereunder was handled by the MEA.

 NASA launched the CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) mission to study solar radio waves.

Roshni Nadar Malhotra was awarded the “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur,” France’s highest civilian honor.

The World Bank said remittances to India are forecasted
to grow at 3.7 per cent to USD 124 billion in 2024. India
received USD 120 billion in remittances in 2023, which is
almost twice of USD 66 billion received by Mexico during
the same period, the World Bank said in a report
released.

India is set to host the 28th Malabar naval exercise with its Quad allies.

Ravi Agrawal, a 1988-batch IRS officer, has been
appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of
Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative body for the
Income Tax Department. He takes over from Nitin Gupta,
a 1986-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, whose
extended tenure as the chairman ended on June 30.

The Uttar Pradesh government approved the ‘CM Tourism Fellowship Programme’ to foster research and investment in tourism.

Muthoot Microfin has secured a corporate agent license
from the Insurance Regulatory and Development
Authority of India (IRDAI). This license strengthens
Muthoot Microfin’s commitment to financial inclusion by
providing insurance coverage that addresses the risks
faced by the most vulnerable segments of society.

Hitachi Payment Services has announced that it has
received the final authorisation from the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) to operate as an Online Payment Aggregator,
under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) collaborated with Airbus for aerospace teaching and research.

NITI Aayog launched a nationwide campaign namely
‘Sampoornata Abhiyan’ with a focus to attain saturation
in 12 key social sector indicators in 500 aspirational
blocks and 112 aspirational districts. 3-month campaign
from 4th July – 30th September 2024 also included
organising camps emphasizing the key indicators of the
campaign as in Ratlam and Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) won the contract to establish the 1600 MW thermal power plant in Koderma, Jharkhand.

Jharkhand proposed the ‘Navothan Scholarship Scheme’ to support meritorious orphans and physically challenged students.

Tata Power Solar Systems Ltd entered a strategic
partnership with the Bank of India (BOI) to provide
financing solutions for rooftop solar installations and
electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This
partnership aims to support India’s renewable energy
targets and make clean energy technologies more
accessible and affordable.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development
Authority (MMRDA) has entered into an agreement with
the German state-owned development bank KfW to raise
over Rs 850 crore to support development of urban
infrastructure.

Challa Sreenivasulu Setty has been selected as the next
chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) by the Financial
Services Institution Bureau (FSIB), an arm of the central
government. The two other contenders were Ashwini
Tiwari and Vinay Tonse. Setty will succeed current
chairman Dinesh Khara, whose term ends on August 28.

A commemorative coin of Rs 100 was released to mark
the 101st birth anniversary of late Jawaharlal Darda,
freedom fighter and Founder-Editor of the Lokmat Media
Group, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde
stating that late leader was “a real gem” from the state.

The Ministry of Culture launched Project PARI to showcase public art inspired by India’s rich artistic heritage.

The first-ever National Fisheries and Aquaculture Awards were held in New Delhi.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) is at the Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF) Base Darwin, to participate in Exercise Pitch
Black 2024. Scheduled from July 12 to August 2, this
biennial multinational exercise will bring together 20
countries, featuring over 140 aircraft and 4,400 military
personnel.

The ‘Digital Shakti 5.0’ initiative was launched by the CyberPeace Foundation to empower and upskill women and girls in cyberspace.

The Sado gold and silver mines in Japan were added to
the UNESCO World Heritage List. These mines, which
operated from the 17th century until 1989, are
significant for their role in Japan’s economic history. The
recognition also acknowledges the complex history
associated with the site, including issues of forced labor
during World War II.

Observed annually on 23 June, International Olympic Day
commemorates the founding of the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The theme of this
year’s Olympic Day is ‘Let’s Move and Celebrate’ to
inspire and encourage people to embrace the joy of
movement this summer.

Dr. Usha Thakur received the prestigious 12th Vishwa
Hindi Samman for her significant contributions to the
promotion and development of Hindi literature. Her
work includes translating over 40 pieces of literature into
Hindi and Nepali, strengthening cultural and linguistic
ties between these languages. The award was presented to her in Kathmandu as she could not attend the event in Fiji.

The government has made it mandatory for stainless
steel and aluminium kitchen utensils to conform to
national quality standards, the Bureau of Indian
Standards (BIS) said, in a move aimed at enhancing
consumer safety and product quality.

The RBI said it has imposed a penalty of ₹29.6 lakh on
The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation
Limited (HSBC) for non-compliance with certain
directions related to cards. RBI said a Statutory
Inspection for Supervisory Evaluation (ISE 2022) of the
bank was conducted by it with reference to its financial
position as on March 31, 2022.

Two Gaganyaan astronauts were shortlisted to participate in the Axiom-4 mission at the International Space Station (ISS).

The World Bank will lend support to the Greater Chennai
Corporation (GCC) to achieve sustainable waste
management in the city. At a meeting the World Bank
held discussions on solid waste management with
officials of the State government and the GCC to stop
waste dumping in Kodungaiyur by 2026-2027.

The UN agency tackling crime and drug abuse (UNODC)
released its annual World Drug Report in June 2024
warning that there are now nearly 300 million users
globally, alongside an increase in trafficking. In 2022,
cocaine production hit a record high with 2,757 tons
produced – a 20 per cent increase from 2021.

Tech Mahindra launched ‘Project Indus,’ a model that supports various Indic languages and dialects.

In the Mercer’s Cost of Living City rankings for 2024
report, Mumbai claimed the top spot in India, rising 11
places to 136th position, establishing itself as the priciest
city in the country for expats. Delhi closely follows suit,
climbing four places to secure 165th position.

 INCOIS, Hyderabad, upgraded its RAIN system to gather information on the health of the Indian Ocean.

The scheme provides a reimbursement cap of Rs 20 crore for expenses related to the exploration of critical minerals.

The central government has given a year-long extension
to the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) meant for
digitising patients’ health records and linking them with
the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Account (ABHA ID).
The scheme, which was launched on January 1, 2023, will
now remain in effect till June 30, 2025.

World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced an
online platform called MeDevIS (Medical Devices
Information System), the first global open access clearing
house for information on medical devices. It is designed
to support governments, regulators and users in their
decision-making on selection, procurement and use of
medical devices for diagnostics, testing and treatment of
diseases and health conditions.

The Ministry of Culture launched Project PARI to promote public art that combines traditional and contemporary themes.

• Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)

The Union Ministry of Rural Development and Union
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
(MoMSME), in the spirit of a whole-of-government
approach, signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to
collaborate on formalizing and strengthening Self Help
Group (SHG) women-led rural enterprises through
MoMSME’s flagship schemes.

Uttarakhand and Kerala have been named the topperforming states in NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2023-
24, which measures the progress of states and union
territories on social, economic, and environmental
factors. Bihar was ranked as the worst performer. The
NITI Aayog’s SDG India Index 2023-24 shows that India’s
overall Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) score rose
to 71 in 2023-24, up from 66 in 2020-21.

Avhilash Rawat was named among the winners of the IMO 2024 Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea for his courage in a Red Sea rescue mission.

REC Limited secured a 5-year green loan amounting to 31.96 billion Japanese yen from Deutsche Bank’s Gift City branch.

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to India
plummeted by 43 per cent in 2023 to $28 billion amid a
global decline of 2 per cent, a report by the United
Nations Conference on Trade and Development
(UNCTAD) said. While India dropped to 15th spot in 2023
from 8th position in 2022 in terms of FDI inflows, it
remained in the Top-5 for both kinds of FDI.

Vikram Misri has been appointed as the 35th Foreign Secretary of India.

Algeria declared July 24 as ‘Martyrs’ Day’ to honor the sacrifices made during their national struggle for independence.

The ‘Jaiva Gramam’ campaign to promote organic farming was launched in Kerala.

NCERT released the first set of textbooks under the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the 2024-25 academic session.

China has led the world in filing over 38,000 generative artificial intelligence patents from 2014 to 2023.

Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh announced the grant of
“Mini RATNA” status (Category-1) for Central Electronics
Ltd (CEL) at its Golden Jubilee celebration at the
Ghaziabad campus. Dr Singh congratulated CEL on
completion of 50 years in the service of the nation and
now celebrating its Golden Jubilee on 26th June this year.

 Elisa de Anda Madrazo was appointed as the president of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) for the term from July 2024 to June 2026.

Mount Kinabalu, the highest peak in Malaysia, was climbed by Nitish Singh in a record time of 19 hours.

There will be a seven-day waiting period after the SIM
swap or replacement for a mobile number to become
eligible for porting, telecom regulator TRAI said. Earlier,
there was a waiting period of 10 days in case a sim is
swapped but the regulator has now reduced it to 7 days
in the latest amendment.

The ‘Swachh Gaon, Shudh Jal – Behtar Kal’ campaign was launched by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS).

International Asteroid Day is observed on June 30 to commemorate the Tunguska event in 1908, where a
large explosion caused by an asteroid or comet impact
occurred over Siberia, Russia. The United Nations
established this day to educate the public about the
potential dangers of asteroid impacts and to promote
global awareness and preparedness.

Om Birla was elected Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha
defeating Kodikunnil Suresh of the Congress in a voice
vote. In keeping with parliamentary tradition, Mr. Rahul
Gandhi walked across the aisle to congratulate Mr. Birla,
shook hands with Mr. Modi and escorted the Speaker to
his Chair along with the Prime Minister and
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.

National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and
Development (NABFID) has sanctioned Rs 6200 crore
from which Greenko will use to pay back foreign bond
investors for bonds maturing in January and July next
year. Greenko has 7.5 gigawatts of installed solar and
wind power capacity across 15 states in India.

NSE’s index services subsidiary, NSE Indices has launched
a new thematic index called Nifty India Tourism which
will track the performance of stocks in Nifty 500 index
representing the travel and tourism theme. The base
date for the index is April 1, 2005 and the base value is
1,000.

ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has launched the ICICI
Prudential Nifty Oil & Gas ETF, India’s first exchange
traded fund (ETF) in the oil and gas sector. The scheme
will track the Nifty Oil & Gas TRI, an index that reflects
the performance of listed sector companies.

The Vizhinjam International Sea Port, India’s largest
transhipment port in Kerala, has welcomed its first
container ship, a large cargo vessel named ‘San
Fernando’ from China. The ship, with a capacity of 8,000
to 9,000 TEUs, is owned by the prominent shipping
company Maersk and arrived from Xiamen Port in China.

The Ministry Of Statistics And Programme
Implementation (MoSPI) has constituted a 26-member
Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics
(ACNAS) chaired by Biswanath Goldar to recommend a
new base year for GDP data, according to an official
notification.

CyberPeace Foundation along with the National
Commission for Women, launched the fifth phase of the
Digital Shakti Campaign, a pan-India project on digitally
empowering and upskilling women and girls in
cyberspace.

Economist intelligence unit (EIU) has rated Vienna, the
capital city of Austria, as the most liveable city in the
world in its annual Global Liveability Index. This is the
third consecutive year Vienna has been ranked number
one, according to EIU.