June 2024 Current Affairs MCQ Questions and Answers

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the State Bank of India (SBI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance digital payment services for users of the eMigrate portal. This MoU will become operational following the successful integration of SBI’s payment
gateway, SBIePay, with the eMigrate portal.

The first ‘International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations’ was observed on 10th June 2024.

Despite the Union government’s claims on improving the environment, India remains one of the world’s worst five in an environmental performance index consisting of 180 nations prepared by two leading US institutions. The Environmental Performance Index of 2024 released
earlier this month positioned India at 176th spot.

Alia Bhatt authored the children’s picture book The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds A Home.

 “The Post Office Act, 2023” repealed the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.

The Netherlands has emerged as India’s third largest export destination after the U.S. and UAE during 2023- 24, according to the Commerce Ministry data. India’s
trade surplus with the Netherlands has increased to $17.4 billion in the last fiscal from $13 billion in 2022-23

Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Ltd. (Mahindra
Finance) said it had obtained a Certificate of Registration
(Corporate Agency License) from IRDAI to act as a ‘Corporate Agent (Composite)’ under the Insurance Act, 1938. This license would enable the company to offer tailored insurance plans to its customer base, it said.

Commissioning mothers opting for surrogacy will now be entitled to 180 days of maternity leave under the amended Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972.

NSE Indices Ltd. has launched India’s first index focused
on electric mobility named ‘Nifty EV and New Age Automotive index’ to track the performance of companies, which form a part of the EV ecosystem or are
involved in the development of new-age automotive vehicles or related technology

The Philadelphi Corridor, now under the operational control of the Israel Defence Force (IDF), shares a border with Egypt.

The AI-based smart fence project, ‘Ele-fence,’ is being installed in Kerala.

The film Anora was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 2024 Cannes International Film Festival.

Apurva Chandra has been appointed as the Chairperson of Committee A at the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA).

The NCRB Sankalan of Criminal Laws app was launched to provide complete information on new criminal laws.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation collaborated with the Bureau of Immigration to develop the Fast Track Immigration-Trusted Traveler Programme (FTI-TTP).

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software amed Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aerothermo-dynamic Analysis (PraVaHa). This software was developed in ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC).

Kozhikode has made history by becoming the first UNESCO City of Literature in India.

The global investment bank, in its latest report ‘2024 Global Economic Midyear Outlook’, attributed India’s firm growth to three megatrends — global offshoring,
digitalization, and energy transition. Morgan Stanley forecasts 6.8 per cent growth in 2024 (against RBI’s 7 per
cent), and 6.5 per cent the next, and thinks inflation will stay within policymakers’ comfort zone.

Thiruvananthapuram International Airport has made history by becoming the first airport in India to achieve the Zero Waste to Landfill (ZWL) accolade. This
recognition, awarded by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII-ITC) Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development, highlights the airport’s exceptional waste management practices and commitment to
sustainability.

he Indian government has increased the maximum limit of retirement and death gratuity to Rs 25 lakh.

 The ‘Sustainable Development Report (SDR)’ by SDSN revealed that only 16% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved by 2030.

The United Nations General Assembly has designated 11 July as the “International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica.”

 The National STOP Diarrhoea Campaign 2024 was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has added Israel’s military to a global list of offenders that have committed violations against children, his
spokesman confirmed. Israel’s inclusion on the list comes after eight months of war in Gaza, in which more than 15,500 children have been killed.

TCS and Infosys – India’s first and second largest IT services companies (respectively) – have been ranked among the Top 100 most valuable brands in the world. Telecom giant Airtel has also made it to the list, which is led by tech giants Apple, Google, Microsoft and Amazon.

C-DOT was awarded the WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award for its project on mobile-enabled disaster resilience through cell broadcast emergency alerting.

The campaign Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam was launched to commemorate World Environment Day 2024, with a focus on land restoration, desertification, and drought resilience.

India has announced $1 million in relief assistance to Papua New Guinea after a tragic landslide in the Enga Province. The Ministry of external affairs expressed solidarity and highlighted India’s commitment to disaster risk reduction.

India was ranked 116th in the 2024 Global Peace Index, which reported a 0.56% decline in global peacefulness.

The Indian government monetized assets worth Rs 1.56 lakh crore under the National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) in 2023-24.

Jammu & Kashmir has expanded its cooperation with New Zealand into a full-fledged strategic agreement to enhance the sheep and goat sectors.

 Russia holds the largest inventory of nuclear arsenals, as per the assessment by SIPRI.

Gujarat was awarded the “1st Rank” for having the highest wind power installed capacity.

India’s first ‘Chadwick House: Navigating Audit Heritage’ Museum was inaugurated in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

The Prime Minister of India led the main International Yoga Day celebrations in Srinagar.

The Ministry of Communications announced that “The Post Office Act, 2023” became effective on June 18, 2024. The Post Office Act of 2023 repealed the 125-yearold Indian Post Office Act of 1898. The Act seeks to establish a clear legislative framework for the provision of citizen-centric services, banking services, and other government advantages to the country’s most remote places

 The ‘Crowd Eye’ device was developed by IIT Roorkee to manage pilgrim footfall at Char Dham shrines.

TotalEnergies signed an agreement with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to supply up to 8 lakh Metric Tons Per Annum (MTPA) of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) to India.

 The Assam state government launched the ‘Mukhya Mantri Nijut Moina (MMNM) scheme’ to promote education among girls.

Akatsuki, the only mission to Venus, is associated with Japan and recently lost contact with its earth station.

India will host its first-ever multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched the Blue and Green Islands Integrated Program (BGIIP) to address the environmental challenges of Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (as of 20th
May 2024) Bernard Arnault, the founder and Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis
Vuitton, topped the world’s richest list with a net worth
of USD 220 billion.

Siddhesh Sakore, a farmer and the founder of AGRO RANGERS, from Maharashtra, has been named Land Hero by the United Nations Convention to Combat
Desertification (UNCCD). On the occasion of World Desertification and Drought Day, the UNCCD announced the names of 10 Land Heroes in a programme in Bonn,
Germany.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) supremo Prem Singh Tamang on June 10 took oath as the Chief Minister of the Himalayan state for the second consecutive term. The 56-year-old politician was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya at a function held in Paljor Stadium in Gangtok.

Sunita Williams became the first woman to pilot a spacecraft on its maiden mission.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) committed USD 105 million to support a 550-Megawatt peak (MWp) solar power project in Bikaner.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has, for the first time, successfully landed an aircraft using night vision goggles (NVG) on an advanced landing ground in the Eastern
sector. The IAF’s official X account shared the news, stating an “IAF C-130J aircraft carried out a successful Night Vision Goggles aided landing at an Advanced
Landing Ground in the Eastern sector.”

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under the Union Ministry of Ayush, has launched “PRAGATI- 2024” (Pharma Research in AyurGyan And Techno Innovation). It offers
a very useful opportunity for collaborative research in
the field of Ayurveda.

Reserve Bank of India has launched three major initiatives: the PRAVAAH portal, the Retail Direct Mobile App, and a FinTech Repository. Pravaah is a secure and centralised web-based portal for any individual or entity to seek authorisation, license or regulatory approval on
any reference made by it to the Reserve Bank.

Global unemployment is set to fall slightly this year, a United Nations agency said on May 29, reversing its previous prediction of a rise while warning of “slow progress” on tackling inequalities. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) expects a global
unemployment rate of 4.9% in 2024.

The International Financial Services Centre Authority
(IFSCA) has set up an expert committee to position GIFT
IFSC in Gujarat as a ‘Global Trading Hub’. The 21-member
expert committee will be chaired by Rajeev Kher, former
commerce secretary, according to an official release.

 Infosys launched ‘Aster,’ a set of AI-amplified marketing services designed to enhance brand experiences and drive business growth.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) named British actor Theo James as a global goodwill ambassador. James, who acted in television
series “The Gentlemen” and “The White Lotus”, has supported UNHCR since 2016, and has travelled to Greece, France and Jordan to meet asylum seekers and refugees, the agency said.

 The Smritivan Earthquake Memorial Museum, located in Bhuj, Gujarat, was recognized as one of the world’s most beautiful museums.

Jio Financial Services announced the launch of beta version of ‘JioFinance’ app to offer UPI and digital banking among others. The company said that the app
aims to integrate digital banking, UPI transactions, bill settlement and insurance advisory.

Slovakia is the 42nd country to sign the Artemis Accords, which establish a practical set of principles to guide space
exploration cooperation among nations participating in NASA’s Artemis program. Earlier, Peru became the 41st country to sign the Artemis Accords

The initiative ‘Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao (SABB)’ was introduced under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

Slovenia has legally recognized Palestine as a sovereign state.

AXISCADES Technologies Limited designed and manufactured the Man Portable Counter Drone Systems (MPCDS) recently received by the Indian Army.

India has slipped two places on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap index to 129th place, while Iceland retained its top position in the rankings. India has slipped two places on the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap index to 129th place, while Iceland retained its top position in the rankings.

Sahitya Akademi announced the recipients of the Bal Sahitya Puraskar and Yuva Puraskar for 2024.

Reliance Industries Ltd has been recognized in the “Titans” category of TIME’s World’s 100 ‘Most Influential Companies’ list.

Bhartruhari Mahtab was appointed as the pro-tem Speaker under Article 95(1) of the Constitution.

Researchers from IIT Madras, in collaboration with NASA’s JPL, are studying multi-drug resistant pathogens aboard the ISS.

According to the Institute of International Finance, global debt (including borrowings of households, businesses and governments) has reached $315 trillion in 2024. This is three times the global gross domestic product (GDP).

PhonePe has launched secured lending products on its platform by partnering with banks, non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) and other fintech firms. Walmartowned PhonePe said it has more than 535 million registered users and aims to create a “powerful and seamless user experience” in the secured loans category.

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) has elected former Cameroonian prime minister Philemon Yang as president of the 79th UNGA session. Yang will succeed Denis
Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, president of the 78th UNGA session, when the 79th UNGA session opens on Sept. 10 at the UN headquarters in New York.

The world’s largest optical astronomy digital camera is being installed in Chile.

The Department of Telecom has introduced a dedicated 10-digit numbering series starting with 160 to distinguish genuine calls from fraudulent ones.

The satellites Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2, which recently completed 15,000 orbits before deorbiting, are associated with Dhruva Space.

 Central Electronics Limited (CEL) was awarded “Mini RATNA” status during its Golden Jubilee celebration.

The 43rd World Medical and Health Games were held in Saint-Tropez, France.

 The Ministry of Education unveiled the plan to create tobacco-free educational institutions across the nation.

The Madhya Pradesh state government launched the ‘PM Shri Paryatan Vayu Seva’ initiative to promote tourism within the state.

SpaceX developed Starship, which is the world’s most powerful launch vehicle and recently completed its first full test flight.

The Javelin is an anti-tank missile that the United States offered to co-produce with India.

The conservation and breeding center for Asian King Vultures will be located in Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh.

The Indian documentary The Golden Thread won the Golden Conch Award for Best Documentary in the international category at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival.

The Union Cabinet approved the development of a greenfield deep draft major port at Vadhavan, Maharashtra, with an investment of Rs 76,200 crore.

Indian-born Nikesh Arora, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, has landed the second spot on The Wall Street Journal’s 2023 list of highest-paid CEOs in the US. With a compensation of $151.43 million, the 56-year-old’s arnings have surpassed those of many tech giants, like Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and Google’s Sundar Pichai.

Bank of Maharashtra has introduced the Maha Krishi Samrudhi Yojana (MKSY), offering financial assistance to food and agro-based industries, agri-infrastructure projects involved in processing activities, and the
development of agricultural infrastructure facilities.

The first-ever astro-tourism event, ‘Nakshatra Sabha,’ was held in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are working on technologies to ensure accurate timekeeping and synchronization for lunar missions. Establishing a lunar time zone is a significant step towards fostering international collaboration and ensuring the success of multi-national lunar missions.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Researchers are studying multi-drug resistant pathogens on the
International Space Station (ISS), which could have key applications for astronauts’ health as well on earth.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has estimated India’s GDP to record a robust 8 percent growth, the newly elected CII President Sanjiv Puri said while showing optimism about India’s economic growth. He pointed out that several sectors including agriculture, information
technology, services, and global trade are poised for further improvement.

Ministry of Mines and Central TB Division of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has signed a Memorandum of Understanding in New Delhi for collaborative and convergent action towards elimination of Tuberculosis.
The MoU will forge inter-ministerial collaboration and strategic partnerships to achieve the target of Eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) in India by 2025

Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has introduced a new numbering series, 160xxxxxxx for making service/transactional calls. This initiative is a step towards providing citizens with a way to easily identify such legitimate calls.

 Harsh Pati Singhania was elected as the First Vice-Chair of the International Chamber of Commerce.

 Arundhati Roy was awarded the PEN Pinter Prize 2024 for being a “Writer of Courage.”

ISRO collaborated with the French Space Agency CNES on the ‘TRISHNA’ mission to monitor and mitigate climate change.

Abhaya Prasad Hota was appointed as the chairman of the committee tasked with examining the establishment of a Digital Payments Intelligence Platform.

India has been ranked 63rd in the Global Energy Transition Index.

The World Investment Report 2024 was released by UNCTAD, highlighting a 43% decrease in FDI to India

Fintech firm PhonePe has partnered with ride-hailing platform PickMe to enable UPI-based payments for Indian travellers in Sri Lanka, the Walmart group firm said. Last month, PhonePe entered into a partnership
with LankaPay to allow its users to pay using UPI across Sri Lanka.

The ‘eSakshya’ application was developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to assist police in criminal investigations.

The Binsar Sanctuary, where a forest fire recently occurred, is located in Uttarakhand.

Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, a senior IAS officer from Jharkhand Cadre (Batch : 1998), who is currently serving as an Additional Secretary and Director General, Labour Welfare in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, has taken over the additional charge of Director General of Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).

The first consignment of MD 2 variety pineapples was successfully exported to the UAE, facilitated by APEDA.

Japan-India maritime exercise (JIMEX 24) was held at Yokosuka in Japan. Indian Navy said that JIMEX 24 provides an opportunity to learn from each other’s best
practices and facilitates operational interactions between India and Japan.

The leopard safari was inaugurated at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP).

Criminal courts are required to declare judgments within 45 days after the trial’s conclusion according to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV)
Vadodara entered into collaboration with Nokia, Plasser India and Jacobs to strengthen the partnership between
industry and academia. Three MoUs were signed at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.

The Malabar River Festival 2024, featuring the International White Water Kayaking Championship, will be organized in Kozhikode.

The Delhi High Court has appointed Justice Najmi Waziri
(Retired) as Chairperson of an ad-hoc Administrative Committee to supervise the administration of the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI). The Committee shall take over charge of the day-to-day administration and functioning of the Equestrian Federation of India.

The government is planning to launch a Unified portal that will process health insurance claims across hospitals all over the country. The National Health Claim Exchange (NHCX) one-stop-portal is likely to be launched in the next two-three months.

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog has announced the launch of two initiatives aimed at fostering innovation and sustainability in India: the ‘AIM– ICDK Water Challenge 4.0’ and the fifth edition of ‘Innovations for You’ handbook, spotlighting SDG entrepreneurs of India.

The ‘e-crop’ technology was launched by ICAR – Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) to advance precision agriculture.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK) in
collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has established a DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) on its campus for interdisciplinary research in nextgeneration defense technologies.

Bharti AXA Life Insurance, a wholly owned by Bharti Group, on June 19 announced the appointment of Akhil Gupta, currently the Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises,
as its new Chairman. With over 40 years of professional experience, Gupta has played a crucial role in the growth of Bharti Airtel since its inception, the company said in a
statement.

The fourth joint exercise between the Indian Air Force and the Egyptian Air Force was named Exercise HOPEX.

The new campus of Nalanda University in Rajgir, Bihar, was constructed at a cost of Rs 1,749 crore.

Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh assumed the appointment of Commandant, National Defence Academy from Vice Admiral Ajay Kocchar in Pune. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (Khadakwasla), he was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 1st July 1990.

The Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) was launched by the National Health Authority (NHA) and has been extended until June 30, 2025.

Jaipur Military Station became the second military station in India to have a road made from plastic waste.

Om Birla was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha.

India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has partnered with Ria Money Transfer, a global leader in cross-border money transfers to provide convenient and affordable doorstep
financial services to customers in remote areas across the country.

Singapore became the top investor in India during FY24 with a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) of $11.77 billion.

Dr. K Radhakrishnan will head the seven-member high-level committee formed to oversee the functioning of the National Testing Agency (NTA).

Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board
of India (SEBI) has notified a framework for issuance of subordinate units by privately placed infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs). It further said that InvIT would not raise funds through public issues if any subordinate units have been issued and are outstanding.

The United Nations observed the first International Day of Play (IDOP) on 11 June 2024.

The Indo-Mediterranean Initiative (IMI) was launched to promote the partnership between India and Italy.

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a statement
said that for the first time in 30 years an Indian film named ‘All We Imagine as Light’ of Payal Kapadia, which centers around the lives of two nurses, was nominated for the Palme d’or, the highest award in the festival. This
film won the Grand Prix, the second position in the category.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) received a contract worth around Rs 50,000 crore to supply Light Combat Helicopters (LCH), known as “Prachand.”

The latest AI model ‘Claude 3.5 Sonnet’ was launched by Anthropic.

State Bank of India (SBI) has launched a new SME digital business loans programme where India’s largest bank will use data from income tax and GST returns and bank
statements for credit assessment of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and sanction loans in 10 seconds after submitting the required details without
any human intervention.

SabPaisa (SRS Live Technologies Private Limited), a payment solutions provider has announced that it has received final approval from the Reserve Bank of India
(RBI) to function as a Payment Aggregator (PA) under the Payments and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.

Alpana Killawala authored the book A Fly on the RBI Wall: An Insider’s View of the Central Bank.

Hansa Mehta was honored by the President of the UNGA on the International Day for Women in Diplomacy.

 Reliance Industries Ltd. is planning to develop a global economic hub in Navi Mumbai, having secured land sub-leases worth Rs 13,400 crore.

The new international airport in Tamil Nadu is planned to be built in Hosur

The Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) introduced the SayujNet platform for networking and resource discovery.

Economic Explosives Limited designed and developed the Nagastra-1 drones, recently delivered to the Indian Army.

State-owned Gas Authority of India Ltd’s (GAIL) maiden
green hydrogen plant at Vijaipur in Madhya Pradesh has been commissioned. The plant will produce about 4.3 tonnes of green hydrogen per day, with a purity of about 99.999 per cent by volume.

Coal India Limited (CIL) established Bharat Coal Gasification and Chemicals Ltd (BCGCL) to focus on coal-to-chemicals operations.

Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Government of India, awarded UN’s WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award. The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) 20 Forum 2024, a High-Level Event was conducted by International Telecom Union (ITU) in Geneva, Switzerland from 27th May – 31st May, 2024.

Global investment in clean energy technology and infrastructure is set to hit $2 trillion this year, twice the amount going into fossil fuels, an International Energy
Agency (IEA) report showed. Total energy investment is expected to exceed $3 trillion for the first time in 2024, the IEA said in its annual World Energy Investment report.

RITES Limited, a leading engineering consultancy firm has
signed a contract agreement for supplying 200 broad
gauge passenger carriages to Bangladesh Railways. The
export arm of Indian Railways, RITES has won the USD
111.26 million (approximately Rs 915 crore) contract,
funded by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided India with a loan of USD 170 million to enhance its healthcare system

Neeraj Chopra won the gold medal in javelin at the Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 in Turku, Finland.

The Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCORE) was inaugurated at Rashtriya Raksha University.

Advancing the Skill Mission, the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
(MSDE) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) has announced a strategic partnership to advance skill
development and lifelong learning in India and globally.

Indian delegation led by Secretary, Department of Commerce, Shri Sunil Barthwal participated in the IndoPacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF)
Ministerial meeting held in Singapore on 6 June 2024. IPEF was launched on 23 May 2022 at Tokyo, Japan, comprising of 14 countries – Australia, Brunei, Fiji, India,
Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and USA.

Kyoto University, Japan, has developed ‘LignoSat,’ the world’s first wooden satellite, which aims to reduce space debris.

The Prudential Authority of the South African Reserve Bank has imposed a financial penalty of 10 million rand (₹4.5 crore) on the State Bank of India’s South Africa
branch. This penalty was imposed under Section 45C of the country’s Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001(FIC Act) for non-compliance with certain provisions of the FIC Act or other related orders or directives.

Claudia Sheinbaum has been elected as Mexico’s first female president, in a historic landslide win. Mexico’s
official electoral authority said preliminary results showed the 61-year-old former mayor of Mexico City winning between 58% and 60% of the vote in election.

India’s rank on the World Economic Forum’s Travel &
Tourism Development Index 2024 has risen to 39th
place, with global tourism activities returning to prepandemic levels. While the US topped the list, India is
ranked highest in South Asia and among the lowermiddle-income economies.

Ravichandran Ashwin recently unveiled his autobiography titled I Have the Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story.

Vinod Ganatra became the first Indian to receive the ‘Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award’ of South Africa for his contribution to films.

NIMHANS, Bengaluru, has been honored with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

In order to provide expert guidance and definitive care
during medical emergencies for serving personnel and
their families of the Indian Air Force (IAF) across the
nation, an Emergency Medical Response System (EMRS),
was inaugurated by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal
V.R. Chaudhari at Command Hospital Air Force in
Bengaluru.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan attended ‘Exercise Cyber Suraksha – 2024’, on May 22, 2024 in New Delhi. The comprehensive cyber defence exercise was conducted by Defence Cyber Agency from 20 – 24 May 2024.

The Assam state secretariat was declared as India’s first green state government headquarters

Subbiah Nallamuthu was honored with the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival.

 Flipkart launched the UPI app ‘super.money’ to enhance its fintech capabilities.

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

India participated in the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting, which commenced on 10 June in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), led
the Indian delegation at the meeting.

China now has 500 nuclear warheads, up from 410 in January 2023, while India has 172 (from 164 in 2023) and Pakistan 170 (unchanged from 2023), as per the latest
assessment by the Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIPRI).

The DGCA aims to increase women’s representation in the civil aviation sector to 25% by 2025.

India and the UAE have introduced the Local Currency Settlement System (LCSS) to enhance their economic ties.

 The “spherical superhydrophobic activated carbon catalyst” was developed to reduce the cost of producing biodiesel.

he Pre-Incubation Entrepreneurship (PIE) Development Programme was launched by IN-SPACe to nurture early-stage space startups.

Mark Rutte was appointed as the next Secretary General of NATO by the North Atlantic Council.

India, in particular, has shown a slight improvement in its ranking in the Institute for Economics and Peace’s annual Global Peace Index. In 2024, India ranked 116 out of 163 countries. In previous rankings, it stood at 139 in GPI 2020 and 141 in GPI 2019

Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani has met Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the country’s Druk
Green Power Corporation for a 570 MW hydroelectric plant in Chukha province. Further, he praised Bhutan’s efforts to develop infrastructure under the vision of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The ASMI submachine guns were ordered from Lokesh Machine Limited.

 The new international airport in Tamil Nadu is planned to be built in Hosur.

Homegrown logistics services platform Porter has likely
become the third unicorn (with valuation of $1 billion
and above) in India this year after a fresh internal round.
Top investors like Tiger Global, Peak XV Partners, Lightrock and the Mahindra Group have infused money in Porter.

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah issued a decree nominating Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid al-Sabah as crown prince. Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid previously served
as Prime Minister from 2019 until 2022, when he resigned after facing a combative legislature as the head of successive cabinets, with opposition MPs bent on
questioning him over issues including perceived corruption.

Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders was awarded the “Navratna” status by the Department of Public Enterprises.

Airbus Helicopters and Small Industries Development
Bank of India (SIDBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for financing the purchase of Airbus’ helicopters in India. The collaboration marks a
significant foray of SIDBI into helicopter financing and
meeting the financial and development needs of India’s
fast-growing rotary wing sector.

Fitch Ratings has upped India’s growth forecast, measured in terms of GDP (Gross Domestic Products) to 7.2 per cent during fiscal year 2024-25 (FY25), from the
earlier print of 7 per cent. The economy grew by 8.2 per
cent during FY24.

The United States designated Kenya as its major non-NATO ally.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)
expects India’s merchandise exports increase around
14% to $500-510 billion in FY25 from $437 billion in
2023-24, led by technology driven sectors of exports
such as machinery, electrical and electronic, automobile,
pharma and biotechnology which have received a fillip
from the production-linked incentive schemes.

China’s spacecraft successfully returned samples from the far side of the moon to Earth, a first in lunar exploration.

Italy hosted the annual summit of leaders from the Group of Seven (G7) major democracies on June 13-15. The G7 comprises the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, France, Italy and Britain. The meeting was held in Borgo Egnazia in the southern region of Puglia – a luxury hotel with a Michelin starred restaurant.

Poonawalla Fincorp Limited, in collaboration with
IndusInd Bank, has launched the co-branded ‘IndusInd Bank Poonawalla Fincorp eLITE RuPay Platinum Credit Card’, a card designed to redefine and elevate the banking experience of customers.

Ambuja Cements Limited signed a binding agreement to acquire Penna Cement Industries Ltd (PCIL) at an enterprise value of Rs. 10,422 crore.

Estonia topped the 2024 Environment Performance Index, where India was ranked 176th out of 180 countries.

RudraM-II is an air-to-surface missile successfully tested by DRDO.

Alia Bhatt has ventured into storytelling with her first picture book for children, Ed Finds A Home. Alia revealed the first book in a series of children’s picture books titled
“Ed Finds A Home,” under her children’s wear brand Eda-Mamma.

The National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) was approved with a financial outlay of Rs. 2254.43 crore for 2024-25 to 2028-29.

Eastern Coalfields Limited is undertaking a pilot project for Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) at the Kasta coal block in Jamtara District, Jharkhand.

NEC Corporation has been selected as System Integrator (SI) for a period of six years, Pension Fund Regulatory and
Development Authority (PFRDA) has said. NEC Corporation India is expected to play a crucial and pivotal role in PFRDA’s digital transformation journey.

Maintaining consistency in attracting foreign investment inflows, India has received a total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow of USD 70.9 billion in the financial year 2023-24. The largest contributor to the country’s FDI inflow was Mauritius with a total of 25 per
cent, followed by Singapore which infused 24 per cent of the total FDI inflow in the country.

The Telecommunications Act 2023 repeals the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.

The final satellite for the NOAA program ‘GOES-U’ was launched by NASA.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $170 million loan to strengthen India’s health systems by aiding in the implementation of the National Health
Policy 2017. This policy-based loan is part of ADB’s efforts to provide quality healthcare services to all, in line with the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda won re-election in
a vote marked by defence concerns over neighbouring
Russia, official results showed. The count published by the electoral commission showed that Nauseda won 76% of votes with 80% of ballots counted after polls closed in the second-round vote.

Paraguay became the 100th country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member.

Jabalpur airport in Madhya Pradesh will be named after Rani Durgavati.

Spain has become the 99th member of the International
Solar Alliance. India and France jointly launched the
International Solar Alliance (ISA) during COP21 in Paris.
The ISA aims to contribute to the implementation of the
Paris Climate Agreement through the rapid and massive
deployment of solar energy.

The Ministry of Finance recommended limiting arbitration clauses in government contracts to disputes under Rs 10 crore.

The Reliance Foundation and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an independent body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at empowering residents of coastal regions, as per a statement from the Foundation.

Anant Yardi has taken over as the CEO of WeWork.

The Reserve Bank of India on June 7 raised projection of real gross domestic product for the financial year 2024- 25 to 7.2 percent, from 7 percent estimated previously, said the governor Shaktikanta Das. The governor said the GDP growth in the first quarter is likely to be at 7.3
percent, 7.2 percent in Q2, 7.3 percent in Q3 and 7.2 percent in the last quarter.

Pakistan launched the PakSat-MM1 satellite to enhance internet connectivity in the country.

Tata Consultancy Services has partnered with IIT Bombay to create India’s first quantum diamond microchip imager.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) was awarded the “Risk Manager of the Year Award 2024” by Central Banking.

Shruti Vora became the first Indian rider to win a three-star Grand Prix event.

The RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee maintained the Repo Rate at 6.50%.

 The ‘State of Ocean Report, 2024,’ detailing significant warming in the upper 2,000 meters of oceans, was released by UNESCO.

The MNRE increased the allocation for the Fertilizer Sector under the SIGHT Programme to 7.5 lakh tonnes per annum of Green Ammonia.

SEBI has been given ‘Best Conduct of Business Regulator’ award in Asia Pacific by The Asian Banker for its role in enhancing the regulatory framework for securities markets in India. The award was received by SEBI’s Whole Time Member Kamlesh Chandra Varshney in a ceremony held in Hong Kong.

The application named Air-Pravah was launched for real-time monitoring of the Air Quality Index (AQI).

Punjab National Bank (PNB) and India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd (IIFCL) has signed an agreement to offer long-term financial assistance to viable infrastructure projects. With this, both the institutions
will collaborate to fund the infrastructure projects wherein the parties can mutually participate under consortium/multiple lending arrangements to provide
financial support to the prospective borrowers subject to due diligence and on a case-to-case basis

The Indian Institute of Technology – Hyderabad (IIT-H) and Japanese advanced semiconductor solutions provider Renesas Electronics Corporation have entered
into a three-year memorandum of understanding to undertake research and collaborate in the field of verylarge-scale-integration (VLSI) and embedded
semiconductor systems.

 The “Path to Peace Summit” on Ukraine was hosted by Switzerland, where Pavan Kapoor represented India.

The Ministry of Defense has issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the acquisition of 156 Light Combat Helicopters (LCH) named ‘Prachand’. This substantial procurement, valued at approximately Rs 45,000 crores, includes 90 helicopters for the Indian Army and 66 for the Indian Air
Force.

The Khalubar War Memorial, located in Aryan Valley, was opened to tourists as a tribute to the heroes of the Kargil War.

The initiative ‘Safai Apnao, Bimaari Bhagao (SABB)’ was introduced under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

Nearly 50 billion ballpoint pens are discarded each year,
with 95% comprised of plastic. Saurabh H. Mehta from
New Delhi developed the world’s first fully biodegradable pen. He established bioQ, which focuses
on eco-friendly stationery, and NOTE (No Offence to the
Earth), which aims to eliminate plastic from pens.

Delhi International Airport introduced India’s first self-service mechanism for quick passenger check-ins with luggage.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is set to launch the National Health Claim Exchange (NHCX) to streamline health insurance claims.

The inaugural IPEF Clean Economy Investor Forum, in which India participated, was organized in Singapore.

South Korea has launched its first space agency to oversee policy and industrial development in the aerospace sector.

The Adani Group signed an MoU with Bhutan’s Druk Green Power Corporation (DGPC) for a 570 MW green hydroelectric plant in Chukha province.

Wartsila has launched the world’s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant, the company announced in a press release. The 100% hydrogen-ready
engine is expected to be available for orders in 2025, and available for delivery from 2026

Adani One and ICICI Bank has launched India’s first cobranded credit cards with airport-linked benefits in collaboration with Visa. Available in two variants – Adani
One ICICI Bank Signature Credit Card and Adani One ICICI Bank Platinum Credit Card – they offer a comprehensive and substantial reward programme.

Sub Lieutenant Anamika B. Rajeev became the Indian Navy’s first woman helicopter pilot during a passing out parade held in the naval air station INS Rajali at Arakkonam in Ranipet district. A total of 21 officers were awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Wings’ by Vice Admiral Rajesh Pendharkar, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command.

Capital Small Finance Bank (CSFB), has forged a bancassurance tie-up with ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd (ICICI Lombard). Through this collaboration, CSFB will leverage its network and customer base to distribute ICICI Lombard’s suite of general insurance products, including health, motor, home, travel and rural insurance

Every year May 28 is observed as World Menstruation Day to raise awareness of menstruation, commonly called periods. 28 May was chosen as the Menstrual
Hygiene Day because it represents the average length of
a menstrual cycle. The theme of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2024 is #PeriodFriendlyWorld.

India has moved 100 metric tonnes of its gold stored in the U.K. to domestic vaults in FY24, sources said. This is one of the biggest movements of gold undertaken by the country since 1991, when pledging a substantial part of the gold holding to tide over a foreign exchange crisis resulted in its movement out of vaults. The country’s
overall gold holding increased 27.46 metric tonnes in FY24 and it stands at 822 metric tonnes, as per official data.

Dr. Edwin Dikoloti was elected as the President of the 77th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Bank Clinic is an initiative by the All India Bank Employees’ Association (AIBEA) to help customers address their grievances amid rapid expansion in
technology and a series of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) guidelines on retail banking.

World Refugee Day is an international day designated by the United Nations to honor refugees around the globe. It falls each year on 20 June and celebrates the strength and courage of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.

The Reserve Bank has constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of former MD and CEO of National Payments Corporation of India, Mr. AP Hota to examine various aspects of setting up a digital public infrastructure for Digital Payments Intelligence Platform.

Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM) supremo Prem Singh Tamang took oath as chief minister of the Himalayan state for a second straight term. Tamang, 56, who
spearheaded the SKM’s landslide victory in the assembly polls and the lone Lok Sabha seat in Sikkim, was unanimously elected the leader of the legislature party during a meeting on June 2.

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd signed an agreement with a Germany-based shipping company for the construction of four multi-purpose cargo vessels.

The United Nations celebrated the first-ever International Day of Potato on 30 May 2024, with the theme “Harvesting diversity, feeding hope.”

Divya Deshmukh added another significant title to her already impressive collection. The 18-year-old from Nagpur won the World junior girls’ chess championship
after beating Bulgaria’s Beloslava Krasteva in the final round at the Gift City Club, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Mohan Charan Majhi was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Odisha.

Secretary, MeitY, S. Krishnan has inaugurated indigenous air quality monitoring system AQ-AIMS and launched AirPravah app on the occasion of World Environment Day in New Delhi. These are developed under MeitY supported technologies.

The Nagi and Nakti Bird Sanctuaries in Bihar were recognized as wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

‘MPMH 21’ is a type of Pearl Millet developed to be resilient in drought-prone regions.

India’s first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj retired after 35 years of
service, during which she served as Indian envoy in Bhutan, South Africa and the UNESCO. She became Permanent Representative/Ambassador of India to New York, on August 2, 2022.

 The JKCIP Project is a partnership between the Government of Jammu & Kashmir and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

The Sangyaan App was launched to provide RPF Personnel with information on new Criminal Acts.

Azad Engineering has bagged a DRDO laboratory Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) contract for endto-end manufacturing, assembly and integration of completely-assembled advanced turbo gas generator engine. Deliveries of the first batch of the fully integrated turbo engines will begin early 2026.

Volvo Cars introduced the world’s first EV battery passport for its upcoming flagship EX90 SUV, detailing the origins of materials and carbon footprint.

The “One Week One Theme” (OWOT) campaign was launched under the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

The Indian Air Force contingent participated in the Red Flag 24 exercise at Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, USA.

AgniKul Cosmos successfully launched Agnibaan SorTeD, a sub-orbital test vehicle powered by a 3D-printed rocket engine.