Current affairs magzine 1- (30) June 2024.pdf

CONTENT National…………………………………………….……………………...2 International…………………………………………………………..…...9 Defence…………………………………………………………………..16 Appointments or Resign/Retired…………………………….…………..18 Honours/ Awards……………………………………………….………..30 Sports……………………………………………..……………..……….36 Obituary……...

CONTENT National…………………………………………….……………………...2 International…………………………………………………………..…...9 Defence…………………………………………………………………..16 Appointments or Resign/Retired…………………………….…………..18 Honours/ Awards……………………………………………….………..30 Sports……………………………………………..……………..……….36 Obituary………………………………………………………………….43 Important Days with theme………………………………….…….…....45 1  National RBI Moves 100 Tonnes of Gold From UK To its Vaults in India The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has moved 100 Metric Tonnes (MT) or 1 Lakh kg of gold stored in the United Kingdom (UK) to domestic vaults in FY24, which marks a significant shift in gold storage.  It marks the first time since 1991 that India has moved such a heavy scale of gold. Note: India‟s overall gold holdings increased 27.46 MT in FY24 and it stands at 822.1 MT of which 413.8 tonnes stored overseas as of March 2024. Key Points: i.This move, driven by logistical considerations and a desire for diversified storage, highlights the RBI‟s evolving approach to managing its gold reserves. ii.More than half of the RBI‟s gold holdings are kept in safe custody with the Bank of International Settlements (BIS) and the Bank of England (BoE). This move helps the RBI in saving on the storage costs, which are paid to foreign custodians, such as the BoE. Background: i.RBI started buying gold from 2018 and before that it had bought 200 tonnes from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the global financial crisis in 2009. ii.According to the World Gold Council (WGC), RBI bought 19 tonnes of gold in the first quarter of 2024, surpassing the 16 tonnes purchased in 2023. iii.The Bank of England has served as a repository for a great deal of central banks, including India, with some of its gold reserves stored in London (United Kingdom) since before Independence. Netherlands Becomes India‟s Third Largest Export Destination In FY 24 After US, UAE As per the data of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI), the Netherlands emerged as the third largest export destination in FY24 after the United States of America (USA) and United Arab Emirates (UAE). India-Netherlands Trade Progress in FY24: i.India‟s exports to the Netherlands increased by 3.5% to USD 22.36 billion in FY24 as compared to USD 21.61 billion in FY23. This development comes despite a decline in India‟s overall product shipments by more than 3%. The trade surplus was mainly due to increase in the shipment of goods which includes petroleum products (USD 14.29 billion), electrical goods, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. 2 ii.India‟s trade surplus with the Netherlands has increased to USD 17.4 billion in FY24 from USD 13 billion in FY23. iii.In FY24, the bilateral trade between India and Netherlands fell slightly to USD 27.34 billion, compared to USD 27.58 billion in FY23. The Netherlands is one of India‟s major trading partners in Europe, following Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Belgium. During FY24, India received about USD 5 billion in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from the Netherlands. It was USD 2.6 billion in FY23. NCLT Grants Approval For Vistara-Air India Merger The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) approved the merger of Vistara with Air India allowing a period of nine months for the dissolution of Vistara. The merger resulted in the creation of one of the world‟s largest airline conglomerates. The approval was granted to the „Composite Scheme of Arrangement‟ between the petitioner companies and their shareholders under Sections 230 to 232 and Companies Act, 2013 provisions. Note: Vistara is a joint venture (JV) between Tata Group and Singapore Airlines. The Tata Sons bought Air India and Air India Express and took its ownership in January 2022. i.The merger was first announced in November 2022. Under the merger deal, Tata Sons Private Limited will hold 73.38% stake in the merged entity, and Singapore Airlines 25.1%. The remaining 1.52% will be held by SBICAP Trustee Limited on behalf of Air India Employee Settlement Trust. ii.The Competition Commission of India (CCI) and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have also given clearance for the merger scheme. iii.The DGCA will have to approve the transfer of Vistara‟s crew, operations and aircraft to Air India and further various government authorities will also have to grant Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) approval for Singapore Airlines share and security clearances. iv.The approval should be per Civil Aviation Regulations (CARs) issued by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the DGCA. 18th Lok Sabha: Narendra Modi takes Oath as PM for the 3rd term; along with 71 Ministers Narendra Modi(73-year-old), leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), was sworn in as the Prime Minister(PM) of India for the third consecutive term (2024 to 2029). 3  Droupadi Murmu, President of India, administered the oath of office to PM Modi, along with 71 ministers, at a grand ceremony on the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, Delhi. Note: The new cabinet includes 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge and 36 Ministers of State. 18th Lok Sabha Election Result(2024): BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) won the 2024 Lok Sabha general election with 293 seats, a much lower margin than predicted by exit polls. The opposition won a total of 234 seats out of 543. This marks Modi‟s first time heading a coalition government. PM Narendra Modi is only the second Indian PM after Jawaharlal Nehru to retain power for a 3rd five-year term. Ravichandran Ashwin Unveils Autobiography „I Have the Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story‟ Renowned Indian international cricketer, Ravichandran Ashwin unveiled his autobiography titled, “I Have the Streets: A Kutti Cricket Story,” written by Ravichandran Ashwin with author Sidharth Monga, a sitcom screenplay writer, a wrestling booker, and a chef. The book with 200 Pages was published by Penguin Random House India (PRHI). The book highlights Ashwin‟s journey from a cricket-loving child in Chennai to becoming one of India‟s finest cricketers. Ravichandran Ashwin is an offspinner who also plays for Tamil Nadu in domestic cricket and the Rajasthan Royals (RR) (at present) in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He was amember of the 2011 World Cup-winning team, and holder of two IPL and one Champions League T20 titles. He became the 9th bowler in history to take 500 wickets in Test cricket in 2024 against England in Rajkot, Gujarat, and the 2nd Indian after Anil Kumble. He is also the second-fastest bowler to reach 500 wickets, after Sri Lanka‟s Muttiah Muralitharan.He is the quickest to reach 300 test wickets in just 54 matches. New Postal Law, Post Office Act 2023 Comes into Effect, Repealed British Colonial-Era Law Union Ministry of Communication, Government of India (GoI) notified that “The Post Office Act, 2023” came into force with effective from (w.e.f.) on 18th June, 2024. The Post Office Act, 2023 repealed the 125-year old Indian Post Office Act, 1898. The Act aims to create a simple legislative framework for the delivery of citizen centric services, banking services and to extend other government benefits to the country‟s most distant areas. 4  On 24th December, 2023, The President of India, Droupadi Murmu gave assent to The Post Office Bill, 2023 and then, Ministry of Law & Justice published it in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1 dated 24th December, 2023 for general information. Key Points: i.According to the Act, the Centre Government will not have any exclusive privilege over conveying letters. The services provided by Indian Post will be prescribed under Rules. ii.The Act has a provision for the appointment of the Director General of Postal Services. It also empowers the Director General of Postal Services to make regulations regarding charges for postal services such as: supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery. iii.The Act allows the Centre Government through notification may empower any officer to intercept, open, detain or destroy items during transmission by the Post Office on following grounds: security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, public safety or contravention of the provisions of the Act or any other laws. New Criminal Laws Effective from 1st July, 2024: DoPT On 21st June 2024, The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPPG&P) announced that 3 new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita (BNS2) Act, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita (BNSS2) Act, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Adhiniyam Act, 2023 will come into effect from 1st July, 2024. These 3 new criminal laws have repealed the British-colonial era laws: the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPc), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act (IEA), 1872 respectively. The President of India, Droupadi Murmu gave assent to these 3 new criminal laws on 24th December, 2023. Note: On 19th June 2024, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) for the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES) with budget of more than Rs 2200 crore from FY25(2024-25) to FY29 (2028-29). About Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA): Union Minister- Amit Shah (Lok Sabha constituency- Gandhinagar, Gujarat) Minister of State (MoS)- Nityanand Rai (Lok Sabha constituency- Ujiarpur, Bihar); Bandi Sanjay Kumar (Lok Sabha constituency- Karimnagar, Telangana) India Becomes World‟s 3rd largest Domestic Airline Market: OAG Report According to the Official Airline Guide (OAG) report, India becomes the 3rd largest domestic airline market in the world. India jumped from 5th position in 2014 as it saw the significant increase in it‟s domestic airline capacity from 7.9 million (in April 2014) to 15.6 million (in April 2024). 5  As per the report, the United States of America (USA) and China retained their ranks at 1st and 2nd position with 86.1 million and 67.8 million capacities, respectively. Brazil and Indonesia at 4th and 5th position. i.The report highlighted that India is the fastest growing market across all 5 domestic markets worldwide as it noted that India‟s capacity growth rate of seats is increasing at 6.9% per annum which is the highest over a 10-year average. ii.According to the report, India has the highest Low-Cost Carriers (LCCs) among the top 5 countries. As of April 2024, LCCs accounted 78.4% of India‟s domestic capacity. India‟s LCC growth has been mainly driven by IndiGo in last 10 years as its market share has nearly doubled from 32% to 62%. Note: i.On 19th November, 2023, India airlines carried almost 4.56 lakh domestic passengers, the highest since COVID-19, and has surpassed pre-COVID averages by 7.4%. ii.The number of airports increased from 74 (in 2014) to 157 (2024). Srinagar Named „World Craft City‟ by World Crafts Council Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), has been officially recognised as a „World Craft City‟ by the World Crafts Council AISBL (WCC-International), a global non- profit organisation dedicated to preserving and promoting traditional craftsmanship.  This honour celebrates the rich history and exceptional skills of Srinagar‟s artisans, whose work has gained international acclaim.  From 2014, nearly more than 60 cities across the world recognised as World Craft City. Indian cities Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu), Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Mysore (Karnataka) were already added in the list of World Craft City. This recognition will significantly boost the handloom and handicraft sectors and the increased global visibility will open new markets and opportunities for artisans. Note: The WCC AISBL, celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2024, has been affiliated with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) under Consultative Status since its inception in June 1964. Impact on Kashmir Handicrafts: i.This recognition is expected to boost the cottage industry and tourism in the Valley. ii.It will encourage the younger generation to engage in traditional craftsmanship. Benefits to Artisans: i.Artisans will gain access to advanced training programs and workshops. ii.Increased demand for unique crafts will boost production, create jobs, and improve livelihoods. 6 Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Receives Navratna Status; CEL Gets „Mini RATNA' (Category-1) Status Department of Public Enterprises(DPE), under the Ministry of Finance(MoF), has granted the „Navratna‟ status to Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL), a Central Public Sector Undertaking(CPSU) under the Ministry of Defence(MoD).  Central Electronics Limited (CEL), a PSU under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology(MoST), has received the „Mini RATNA (Category- 1)‟ Status from the Department of Public Enterprises. About Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDSL): Chairman & Managing Director(CMD)– SanjeevSinghal Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra Founded– 1934 DoPT Notified Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024; Effective from 21st June, 2024 The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPG&P), Government of India (GoI) in exercise of powers given under sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 (1 of 2024) has notified that all the provisions of the said Act came into effect from 21st June 2024.  All offences will be cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable under this Act. Key Points: i.Section 2(k) of the Act defines “public examination” any examination conducted by authorities specified under the schedule of the said Act or notified by the central government, these include:  the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Staff Selection Commission (SSC), Railway Recruitment Board (RRB), National Testing Agency (NTA), Institute of Banking Personnel Selection (IBPS), and Departments of the central government and their attached offices for the recruitment. 7 ii.The Act also prohibits disclosing exam-related confidential information before time and an unauthorised people from entering exam centres to create disruptions.  All these offences are punishable under section 10 with imprisonment of minimum 3 years which may extend to 5 years, and a fine up to Rs 10 lakh. About Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions (MoPPG&P): Union Minister– Narendra Modi (Lok Sabha constituency- Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh (UP)) Union MoS– Dr.Jitendra Singh (Lok Sabha constituency- Udhampur, Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)) Environment Performance Index 2024: India Ranks 176 out of 180 Countries According to the 2024 Environment Performance Index (EPI), India is ranked 176th out of 180 countries with an EPI score of 27.6, surpassing only Pakistan, Viet Nam, Laos, and Myanmar. Estoniatopps the 2024 EPI with an EPI score of 75.3 followed by Luxembourg and Germany at 2nd and 3rd spot. Previously, India was ranked 180th in the EPI 2022 and 168th in the EPI 2020. EPI is a biennial index released by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network Earth Institute, Columbia University with support from The McCall MacBain Foundation. This index was first published in 2002. 8  International India Received Maximum FDI from Singapore Followed By Mauritius in FY24: GoI data According to the latest data released by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India (GoI), India received the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) from Singapore in FY24 (2023-24) despite FDI equity inflows into the country decreased by about 3.5% in FY24, from USD 46.03 billion (FY23)to USD 44.42 billion(FY24) due to global economic uncertainties. i.Mauritius emerged as the 2nd biggest investor in India, with investment of USD 7.97 billion in FY24, followed by United States of America (U.S.A.)(USD 4.99 billion), Netherlands (USD 4.93 billion), Japan (USD 3.17 billion), the United Arab Emirates (UAE) (USD 2.9 billion), Germany (USD 505 million), and Cayman Islands (USD 342 million). ii.The total FDI saw a negligible decrease of 1%, from USD 71.35 billion (in FY23) to USD 70.95 during FY24. About Republic of Singapore: Capital: Singapore Prime Minister: Lawrence Wong Currency: Singapore Dollar (SGD) Key Highlights of 77th World Health Assembly held in Geneva, Switzerland The 77th World Health Assembly(WHA 77) was held in Geneva, Switzerland from 27th May to 1st June, 2024. Theme of 2024 WHA is “All for Health, Health for All”. Apurva Chandra, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) represented India at the WHA 77 Note: World Health Assembly is the decision-making body of World Health Organization (WHO). It is attended by delegations from all 194 Member States of WHO. Points to note: i.Bengaluru(Karnataka)-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) bagged the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by WHO. ii.WHA 77 unanimously adopted various amendments to the International Regulations 2005 (IHR 2005) based on 300 proposals made by member states after COVID-19 Pandemic. iii.India hosted a side event on Women, Children and Adolescent Health in partnership with Norway, United Nations Children‟s Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMCH) in Geneva, Switzerland. iv.WHO released a Strategic framework for enhancing prevention and control of mpox (Monkey pox) (2024–2027) 9 China‟s Chang‟e-6 Lunar Probe Soft Landed on Moon‟s Far Side & Takes Off With 1st Samples From Lunar Far Side On 2nd June 2024, the China National Space Administration‟s (CNSA) Chang‟e-6 lunar probe made a soft landing on the moon‟s far side to collect and return samples from the rarely explored far side of the moon, a first of its kind in human lunar exploration history. Chang‟e-6 with the support of the Queqiao-2 relay satellite landed in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) Basin, specifically the Apollo Basin crater. On 4 June 2024, the ascender of the Chang‟e-6 probe successfully lifted off from the lunar surface, carrying rock and soil samples collected from the moon‟s far side. QS World University Rankings 2025: IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi among the Top 150; MIT Topped the list According to the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings 2025, the Indian Institute of Technology(IIT) Bombay, Mumbai (Maharashtra) and IIT Delhi, New Delhi (Delhi) are the only two Indian Institutes featured among the top 150 Universities on the ranking. IIT-B has retained its position as the best higher education Institute in India, with global ranking of 118th in the list. IIT Delhi has improved its rank from 197th (in 2024) to 150th position (in 2025). Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, the United States of America (USA) has topped the list globally for the 13th time (2012 and from 2014 to 2025). Delhi based Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGSIPU), formerly known as Indraprastha University (IP university or IPU), has bagged the prestigious “Rising Star” award from the QS World Ranking. Note: QS World University Rankings 2025, the 21st edition the annual ranking of universities based on eight key indicators. This edition features 1500 universities across 105 Higher education systems. Boeing Starliner Launches NASA Astronauts into Space for 1st time with Indian-origin Astronaut Sunita Williams On 5 June 2024, Boeing‟s Starliner spacecraft lifted off to space on its maiden voyage to the International Space Station (ISS) with 2 National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams. 10 The astronauts are in orbit on the 1st crewed flight test for the ISS. The astronauts lifted off on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the United States of America (USA). Indian Origin American Sunita Williams is the 1st female astronaut to fly on the 1st flight of a crewed mission of Boeing Starliner. The launch is part of NASA‟s Boeing Crew Flight Test, to validate and certify the crew system for operational crewed rotation missions to the ISS. i.This mission marks Butch Wilmore‟s and Sunita Williams‟ 3rd mission aboard the ISS. WMO Climate Update (2024-2028): Global Temperature Likely to Temporarily Exceed 1.5°C in Next 5 Years According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) annual report, “WMO Global Annual to Decadal Climate Update (2024-2028)”, there is an 80% chance that the average global temperature will temporarily exceed 1.5°C above pre- industrial levels for at least one of the next 5 years (2024-2028). Predictions of the global mean near-surface temperature indicate a range of 1.1 degree Celsius (°C) to 1.9°C above the 1850-1900 baseline for each year from 2024 to 2028. There‟s an 86% chance of at least one of these years setting a new temperature record, potentially exceeding the current warmest year, 2023. About World Meteorological Organization (WMO): WMO is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) responsible for promoting international cooperation in atmospheric science and meteorology. Secretary-General– Professor Celeste Saulo Headquarters– Geneva, Switzerland Russian Cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko Becomes the First Person To Spend 1,000 Cumulative Days in Space Oleg Dmitriyevich Kononenko, a Russian Cosmonaut has become the first person to spend1,000Cumulative days in space. He currently works at the International Space Station (ISS). He set the space-time record after making five flights to the International Space Station dating back to 2008. 11  His current trip to the ISS began on September 15 2023, when he launched alongside National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) astronaut Loral O‟Hara and compatriot Nikolai Chub. He first took the cumulative space time record in February 2024, when he surpassed the total of 878 days, 11 hours, 29 minutes, and 48 seconds set by fellow Russian Gennady Padalka in 2015. If Kononenko‟s mission ends as scheduled September 23 2024, he will have spent a total of 1,110 days in orbit. Bill Gates‟ Memoir “Source Code: My Beginnings” Set to be Published in February 2025 “Source Code: My Beginnings”, a memoir of Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, is set to be published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on 4th February 2025. The origin story of one of the most influential and transformative business leaders and philanthropists of the modern age. This memoir will focus on his early life, from childhood through the creation of Microsoft with Paul Allen in 1975. All proceeds from the book sales will be donated to the nonprofit United Way Worldwide. WEF‟s Global Gender Gap Index 2024: India Ranks 129th; Iceland on Top According to the World Economic Forum(WEF)‟s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, India closed 64.1% of its gender gap in 2024 with a population of over 1.4 billion and secured the 129th rank among 146 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2024. Iceland has topped the 2024 Index followed by Finland and Norway in 2nd and 3rd positions respectively. Note: The 2024 Index, the 18th edition of the Global Gender Gap Index, benchmarks gender parity across 146 economies, providing a basis for the analysis of gender parity developments across two-thirds of the world‟s economies. About the World Economic Forum(WEF): Founder and Executive Chairman– Klaus Schwab President– Børge Brende Headquarters– Cologny, Switzerland 12 IEP‟ Global Peace Index 2024: India stands at 116th Rank out of 163 countries; Iceland Topsthe list i.According to the 18th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI) 2024 released by the Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP), India is ranked 116th out of 163 countries, climbing 10 positions from 2023. The list is topped by Iceland since 2008 followed by Ireland(2nd), Austria(3rd), New Zealand(4th), and Singapore(5th). ii.Europe has been the most peaceful region in the world and is home to eight of the ten most peaceful countries since the start of the GPI. iii.The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region remained the world‟s least peaceful region with major crises in Yemen and Sudan becoming the reasons of its poor rating. About the Institute for Economics and Peace(IEP): The Institute for Economics & Peace was established in 2007 by Steve Killelea Founder & Executive Chairman– Steve Killelea AM Headquarters– Sydney, Australia Wärtsilä Launches World First Large-Scale 100% Hydrogen-Ready Engine Power Plant Wärtsilä Oyj Abp, Finland based company has launched the world‟s first large-scale 100% hydrogen-ready engine power plant to enable the net-zero power systems.  The Wärtsilä 31 is an efficient medium-speed 4-stroke marine engine, which synchronises with the grid within 30 seconds from start command, ensures energy security through fuel flexibility and offers unparalleled load following capabilities and high part load efficiency  It can run on natural gas, 25% hydrogen (H2) by volume blends and has completed more than 1 million running hours, with over 1,000 MegaWatt (MW) installed capacity globally.  The hydrogen-ready engine power plant concept has been certified by (Technischer Überwachungsverein – Technical Inspection Association) TÜV SÜD. Note: The 100% hydrogen-ready engine is expected to be available for orders in 2025, and available for delivery from 2026. Italy hosted the 50th G7 Summit from 13th to 15th June 2024 Italy, which holds the Presidency of Group of Seven (G7) for 2024, hosted the 50th G7 summit (G7 Italia 2024) in BorgoEgnazia in the city of Fasano in Apulia, Italy from 13th to 15th June 2024. 13   Prime Minister(PM) NarendraModi visited Italy from June 13-15, 2024, to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of GiorgiaMeloni, PM of Italy. i.On 13th June 2024, Joe Biden, President of the USA and Volodymr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement, during the 2024 G7 summit held in Italy. ii.On 14th June 2024, NarendraModi, PM of India, attended the G7 summit for the fifth consecutive time. He participated in the Outreach Session on Artificial Intelligence, energy, Africa and the Mediterranean. Global Liveability Index 2024: Austria‟s Vienna Topped as World‟s Most Liveable City; Syria‟s Damascus Ranked Least Liveable According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)‟s Global Liveability Index 2024, Vienna, the capital of Austria, has topped the index as the most liveable city for the third consecutive year.  Denmark‟s Copenhagen maintained its second position, while Switzerland‟s Zurich moved up from 6th place(2023) to 3rd on the 2024 list. Note: No Indian City is ranked on the 2024 list of top 10 liveable cities in the world. About Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU): EIU is the research and analysis division of the Economist Group the sister company to The Economist newspaper. Managing Director– Robin Bew Headquarters– London, The United Kingdom Founded– 1946 Paraguay Becomes 100th Full Member of International Solar Alliance The Republic of Paraguay officially became the 100th full member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), a treaty-based international intergovernmental organization. Paraguay handed over its Instrument of Ratification to the ISA in New Delhi, Delhi. Note: The ISA is an action-oriented, member-driven, collaborative platform for increased deployment of solar energy technologies. 14 Key People: Fleming Raul Duarte, Ambassador of Paraguay handed over the Instrument of Ratification to Abhishek Singh, Head of Depository, Joint Secretary of the Economic Diplomacy (ED) & Multilateral Economic Relations (MER) Division, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). ISA Overview: i.The ISA was conceived as a joint effort by India and France to combat climate change through deployment of solar energy solutions. ii.It was conceptualised on the sidelines of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris, France in 2015. iii.This treaty-based intergovernmental organisation was launched by Prime Minister (PM) NarendraModi and Former President of France, François Hollande. Membership and Framework: i.Initially limited, the ISA‟s Framework Agreement was amended in 2020, allowing all UN member states to join. ii.Currently, 119 countries are signatories to the ISA Framework Agreement, of which 100 countries have ratified and become full members of the ISA. Note: Spain became the 99th full member of ISA in May 2024. About the International Solar Alliance (ISA): Director General– Dr Ajay Mathur Headquarters– Gurugram, Haryana 15  Defence Sub-Lieutenant Anamika Rajeev Becomes Indian Navy‟s 1st Woman Helicopter Pilot Sub-Lieutenant Anamika B. Rajeev has become the first woman helicopter pilot in the Indian Navy after she joined the ranks of a pilot for the Indian Navy helicopters. Lieutenant Jamyang Tsewang, the first Commissioned Naval Officer from the Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh, also graduated as a qualified helicopter pilot. Anamika and Jamyang are among 21 officers awarded the Golden Wings at the passing out parade, which took place on June 7 2024 at a naval air station Indian Navy Ship (INS) Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu (TN) , marks the end of both Stage I training for the 4th Basic Helicopter Conversion Course (BHCC) and graduation of 102nd Helicopter Conversion Course (HCC). Anamika will be allowed to fly helicopters such as Sea Kings, ALH Dhruvs, Chetaks and MH-60R Seahawks. Note: In 2018, flying officer Avani Chaturvedi of the Indian Air Force scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo. JIMEX 24: 8th Japan-India Maritime Exercise Commenced in Japan Japan–India Maritime Exercise 2024 (JIMEX-24), the 8th edition of bilateral exercise between the Indian Navy (IN) and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force(JMSDF), commenced at Yokosuka, Japan. JIMEX 2024, hosted by JMSDF, foster mutual cooperation between IN and JMSDF by facilitating an opportunity to share their best practices and to reaffirm their shared commitment towards maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. About JIMEX-24: The JIMEX-24 will be conducted in two phases: i.Harbour Phase: This phase includes participants that will engage in professional discussions, sporting events, and social interactions. ii.Sea Phase: This phase will be conducted on the open sea, enabling the two navies to collaborate and refine their warfighting capabilities and will enhance their interoperability through the complex multi-discipline operations in the surface, sub-surface, and air domains. Note: JIMEX-23, the 7th edition of the exercise, was hosted by Indian Navy (IN) at/ off Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh (AP) from 5th July to 10th July, 2023. 16  The first edition of JIMEX was held in 2012 in Japan. Indian Army Gets Its 1st Batch of 1st Indigenous LM Nagastra-1 with Reusable Technology The Indian Army has received the first batch of Indigenous man-portable suicide drones also known as the 1st Indigenous Loitering Munition (LM), Nagastra–1, with the capability of precise strikes on enemy training camps and launch pads, minimising risks to soldiers. Nagastra–1 is designed and developed by Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries Nagpur (Maharashtra), in association with Z-Motion Autonomous Systems Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, Karnataka, with over 75% indigenous content. Nagastra-1 is a fixed-wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), weighing 9 kilograms (kg), with an endurance of 60 minutes, a man-in-loop range of 15 kilometers (km), and an autonomous mode range of 30 km. Points to Note: i.The Indian Army has placed an order to EEL to supply 480 LMs under Emergency Procurement Powers. ii.After completing the pre-delivery inspections, EEL delivered 120 LMs to an Army Ammunition Depot. iii.Drones like Nagastra-1 with in-built warheads are known as kamikaze or exploding drones. These drones were first unveiled by the Indian Army in 2023, during a Niche Technology and Innovation display at the Manekshaw Centre in Delhi. Military Impact: i.The enhanced tactical capabilities of Nagastra-1, allow the Indian Army to conduct shallow strikes across borders with heightened precision and reduced operational risks. ii.The drones can also operate from high-altitude areas at extreme temperatures. 17  Appointments or Resign/Retired India‟s 1st UN Woman Permanent Representative Ruchira Kamboj Retires On 1st June 2024, Ambassador RuchiraKamboj, India‟s first Woman Permanent Representative(PR) to the United Nations (UN), retired after over 35 years of distinguished service. She served as India‟s PR to the UN in New York, the United States of America(USA) from August 2022 to June 2024. About Ruchira Kamboj: i.RuchiraKamboj is a Indian Foreign Service (IFS) Officer of 1987 batch. She started her diplomatic career as the 3rd Secretary in India‟s Embassy to France(1989 to 1991). ii.From 1991–96, she served as Under Secretary in the Europe West Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Government of India (GoI). iii.From 1996 to 1999, she served as 1st Secretary (Economic and Commercial) and Head of Chancery at the Indian High Commission in Port Louis, Mauritius. iv.From 1999 to 2002, She served as Deputy Secretary and later Director in charge of Foreign Service Personnel and Cadre in MEA, one of the longest-serving tenures in this crucial administrative role. v.She served as Counsellor at India‟s Permanent Mission to the UN from 2002 to 2005 and as India‟s Consul General in South Africa from 2006 to 2009. vi.She has served as the Deputy Head of the Office of the Secretary-General at the Commonwealth Secretariat in London(the United Kingdom) and as India‟s Chief of Protocol from 2011 to 2014. She was the first and only woman to hold this position. SC Reconstitutes Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee, Appoints Justice HimaKohli as Chairperson On May 31 2024, The Supreme Court of India (SC) re-constituted Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC). Justice HimaKohli has been appointed as Chairperson to head the committee. About the committee: i.The committee comprises a total of 12 members from various fields. ii.The appointments have been made by the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dr. DY Chandrachud in exercise of powers conferred by Clause 4(2) of the Gender Sensitisation & Sexual Harassment of Women at the SC of India (Prevention, Prohibition &Redressal) Regulations, 2013.  Dr.SukhdaPritam, Additional Registrar will serve as the Member Secretary.  Justice BV Nagarathna as member; Advocate SoumyajitPani as a representative of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) under Clause 4(2)(c) along with AninditaPujari; Advocate-on-record as representative of the Advocate-on-record at the SC Association under Article 4(2)(d); Ms.MadhuChauhan as representative of the SC Advocates Association under Article 4(2)(e). 18 About HimaKohli: i.HimaKohli was appointed as Additional Standing Counsel Civil, Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi in the Delhi High Court (HC) in December, 2004. ii.She was appointed as an Additional Judge of the HC of Delhi on May 29, 2006 and took oath as a permanent Judge on August 29 2007. iii.She was sworn-in as the Chief Justice of HC of Telangana on January 7 2021. iv.She was appointed as Judge of SC of India on August 31 2021. About Supreme Court (SC)of India: Chief Justice of India (CJI) – Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi Claudia SheinbaumPardo Elected as 1st Female President of Mexico On 3rd June 2024, Claudia SheinbaumPardo of the Morenaparty, has been elected as the first Female President of the United Mexican States (Mexico). She will succeed her political mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who has been serving as the President of Mexico since 2018. She will officially sworn-in as the 66th President of Mexico for a 6-year term on 1st October 2024. Shewill also become the 1st person of Jewish heritage to become the Head of State of Mexico. Sheinbaum is also the 1st woman to win a general election in the United States of America(USA), Mexico or Canada. Key Points: i.Sheinbaum won the election by securing 58.3%-60.7% of the votes. This is the highest vote percentage in Mexico‟s democratic history. ii.She defeated Xóchitl Gálvez who secured between 26.6% and 28.6% of the votes and Jorge Álvarez Máynez received between 9.9% to 10.8% of the votes. About Claudia SheinbaumPardo: i.ClaudiaSheinbaumPardo is a Mexican politician, scientist, climate activist and academic who began her political career in 2000. ii.She was appointed environment secretary of Mexico City by López Obrador, who was elected as Mayor of Mexico city in 2000. iii.In 2006, She joined the United Nations(UN)‟s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which later won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007. IPCC shared the Nobel Peace Prize 2007 with Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr. “for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change” 19 UNGA Elected Former Cameroonian PM Philemon Yang as President of its 79th Session The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) elected Ambassador Philemon Yang, former Prime Minister (PM) of Cameroon by acclamation, as President for its 79th session starting on 10 September 2024. The UNGA elected Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for 2-year terms starting on 1 January 2025 and serving till 31 December 2026. About the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA): Established in 1945 under the UN Charter, the UNGA is the main policy-making organ of the UN. Headquarters– New York, the United States of America(USA) Prem Singh Tamang Sworn in as CM of Sikkim for 2nd Term Prem Singh Tamang, President of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), took oath as the Chief Minister (CM) of Sikkim for the second consecutive term. He has been serving as the 6th CM of Sikkim since 2019. Lakshman Prasad Acharya, the Governor of Sikkim administered the oath of office and secrecy to Prem Singh Tamang and his Council of Ministers during the swearing- in ceremony held at Paljor Stadium, Gangtok, Sikkim. 2024 Sikkim Elections: i.Sikkim Krantikari Morcha won the 2024 Sikkim assembly elections by 31 out of the 32 seats while the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) secured only one seat. ii.Tamang won the elections from the Rhenock Assembly seat defeating SDF‟s Som Nath Poudyal by over 7,396 votes. iii.The polling for 32 assembly seats in Sikkim was held on April 19 2024 in the first phase simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. iv.This is the third time that Sikkim has witnessed a landslide victory, following similar outcomes for Sikkim Sangaram Parishad(SSP) and SDF in 1989 and 2009 respectively. About Prem Singh Tamang: i.Prem Singh Tamang, better known as P. S. Golay, is an Indian politician, and former teacher. ii.After joining the SDF in 1993, he won the 1994 Sikkim Assembly elections from the Chakung constituency and served as the Minister for Animal Husbandry, Ecclesiastical, and Industry Department until 1999. Vijaya Bharathi Sayani Took Charge as Acting Chairperson of NHRC, India; Justice Arun Kumar Mishra Retired The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) notified the appointment of Vijaya Bharathi Sayani as Acting Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India with effect from 2nd June 2024 until the appointment of New Chairperson of NHRC. 20  She tookoverfrom JusticeArunKumarMishra,FormerSupreme Court judge, whose term as Chairperson of NHRC ended on 1st June 2024. Sayani is currently serving as a Member of NHRC since December 2023. Justice Mishra has been serving as the Chairperson of the NHRC since June 2021. Note: The appointment was authorised by the President of India in exercise of powers conferred under Section 7(1) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993. About Vijaya Bharathi Sayani: i.Prior to joining NHRC as Member, Vijayabharathi Sayani practiced as an Advocate in the Telangana High Court. About Justice Arun Kumar Mishra: i.He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India in 2014 and held the position till his superannuation in 2020. About National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India: NHRC was established under Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993 as amended by the Protection of Human Rights (Amendment) Act, 2006. The NHRC consists of a Chairperson, five full-time Members and seven deemed Members. The statute lays down qualifications for the appointment of the Chairperson and Members of the Commission. Acting Chairperson– Vijaya Bharathi Sayani Headquarters-New Delhi, Delhi Established– 12th October 1993. Chandrababu Naidu Sworn-in as 18th CM of Andhra Pradesh; Pawan Kalyan as Deputy CM Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the President of Telugu Desam Party (TDP), officially sworn-in as the 18th Chief Minister (CM) of Andhra Pradesh (AP). He became the CM of AP for the 4th time and 2nd time after the bifurcation of AP in 2014. He succeeds Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, President of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), who served as CM of AP from 2019 to 2024. Renowned Telugu actor and Janasena Party (JnP) President, Pawan Kalyan took oath as the Deputy CM of AP. S. Abdul Nazeer, the Governor of AP administered the oath of office and secrecy to N. Chandrababu Naidu and his 24 Council of Ministers during the swearing-in ceremony held at Kesarpalli IT Park in Gannavaram on the outskirts of Vijayawada district, AP. 2024 Andhra Pradesh Elections: i.TDP contested in the 2024 AP assembly election and 2024 Parliamentary elections in alliance with Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) and JnP under National Democratic Alliance (NDA). ii.The NDA won 2024 AP assembly elections by securing 164 out of 175 seats. TDP emerged as 21 the single largest party with 135 seats while, its alliance partnersJnP andBJP secured 21and8seats respectively. It has defeated the ruling YSRCP which secured 11 seats. iii.N.Chandrababu Naidu won the elections from the Kuppam constituency. Pawan Kalyan won from the Pithapuram constituency in East Godavari. About N.Chandrababu Naidu: i.He started his political career in 1970‟s as a member of the Indian National Congress (INC). ii.He was elected for the 1st time as Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of AP in1978 from Chandragiri constituency at the age of 28. iii.He became the CM of AP for 1st time in 1995 by replacing NT Rama Rao, Founder of TDP, and remained at this post until 2004. He holds the record of longest continuous term as AP CM which is 8 years and 256 days. iv.He was also the first CM of AP post the bifurcation of Telangana in 2014. He held the post till 2019. Mohan Charan Majhi Sworn in as Odisha‟s 1st BJP CM; Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo & Pravati Parida Took Oath as Deputy CMs Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)„s Mohan Charan Majhi(52-year-old), a tribal leader and a 4-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), took oath as the 15th Chief Minister (CM) of Odisha at a ceremony held at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das administered the oath and Mohan Majhi became the first BJP CM of Odisha. Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, were also sworn in as the deputy CMs of Odisha during the event. With this, Pravati Parida became 1st woman Deputy CM of Odisha. Majhi succeds Naveen Patnaik who served as the CM of Odisha from 2000 to 2024 ( for 24 years and 98 days) Key People: The Oath ceremony was attended by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former CM of Odisha Naveen Patnaik, and other officials. Note: Naveen Patnaik is the 2nd longest-served CM of India after Pawan Kumar Chamling, the 5-time CM of Sikkim(1994-2019), who served for 24 years and 165 days. 2024 Assembly Election Votes: i.The BJP won a majority of 78 seats in the 2024 Odisha Assembly elections. BJP contested in the 2024 elections under the leadership of PM Modi without naming a chief ministerial candidate. ii.Majhi secured victory in the Keonjhar Assembly constituency in Odisha. About Mohan Charan Majhi: 22 i.Mohan Charan Majhi, a member of Santali tribe, was elected leader of the BJP legislature party in Odisha. ii.Majhi began his political journey as a Sarpanch from 1997 to 2000. iii.He first became an MLA in 2000 from Keonjhar and won the seat again in 2004, 2019, and 2024. iv.He served as government deputy chief whip from 2005 to 2009 in the BJD-BJP coalition government. Pema Khandu Took Oath as CM of Arunachal Pradesh for 3rd Time; Chowna Mein Sworn in as Deputy CM On 13th June 2024, Pema Khandu of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sworn in as the Chief Minister (CM) of Arunachal Pradesh (AR) for the 3rd consecutive term at a ceremony held at Dorjee Khandu Convention Hall in Itanagar, AR. He has been serving as the CM of AR since 2016 Chowna Mein took oath as the deputy CM of AR. He has been serving as Dy CM since 2016. The Oath was administered by Lt Gen (Retd) Kaiwalya Trivikram Parnaik,Governorof AR. Points to Note: i.In the 60-member Arunachal Assembly, polling was conducted for 50 seats as 10 sitting BJP Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) including the CM and Deputy CM were elected unopposed before voting in April 2024. Khandu was re-elected unopposed from the Mukto assembly constituency in the Tawang district. Chowna Mein was re-elected unopposed from the Chowkham constituency after his opponent, Bayamso Kri of the Congress, withdrew his nomination. ii.The incumbent BJP government returned to power in AR for the 3rd time in a row, winning 46 seats. About Pema Khandu: i.Pema Khandu began his political carrer in 1998 with Indian National Congress (INC) and assisted his late father Dorjee Khandu, who served as CM of AR from 2007 till his death in 2011. ii.In Spetember 2016, he along with 43 MLA‟s deflected to People‟s Party of Arunachal(PPA) and later in December 2016, He joined BJP. iii.He has previously served as CM of AR from 2016 to 2019 and 2019 to 2024. 23 ACC Approves Reappointments of Ajit Doval as National Security Advisor; PK Mishra as Principal Secretary to PM Modi The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the reappointment of Ajit Kumar Doval as the National Security Advisor (NSA) and Pramod Kumar (PK) Mishra as the Principal Secretary to Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister (PM) of India with effect from June 10 2024. Ajit Doval has been serving as the NSA since 30 May 2014 and has been appointed three consecutive times for the post. PK Mishra has been serving as the Principal Secretary to the PM since September 2019. Key Points: i.Both Ajit Doval and PK Mishra have been assigned the rank of Cabinet Minister in the Table of Precedence during their term of office. ii.Their appointments will be co-terminus with the term of the PM or until further orders. About Ajit Kumar Doval: i.Ajit Doval, the former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the 1968 batch of Kerala cadre. ii.He was actively involved in the anti-insurgency operations in Punjab and Mizoram and was titled the „Indian James Bond‟. iii.He has served as the Director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) from 2004 to 2005. iv.In October 2018, he was also appointed as the Chairman of the Strategic Policy Group (SPG). About PK Mishra: i.PK Mishra, the former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer from 1972 batch of Gujarat cadre. ii.He served as the Secretary to Government of India, Ministry of Agriculture from 2006 to 2008. iii.He has served as Additional Principal Secretary to the PM from 2014 to 2019. iii.He has extensive expertise in policy making and administration, having served as Secretary of Agriculture and Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Government of India (GoI); Chairman of the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC), and in disaster management. Additional info: i.The ACC has also approved the appointment of Amit Khare and Tarun Kapoor, retired IAS officers as Advisors to the PM. ii.They have been appointed in the rank and scale of Secretary to Government for a period of two years with effect from 10th June 2024 or until further orders. 24 Cyril Ramaphosa Re-elected as President of South Africa for 2nd Term The South African Parliament re-elected Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa(71 year old) as the President of the Republic of South Africa for 2nd term. He will be inaugurated on 19th June 2024. Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of African National Congress (ANC) party, secured 283 votes in the 400 member house against Julius Malema, of Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), who received just 44 votes. General Election 2024: i.For the first time in 30 years, ANC lost its majority and has secured just 40% votes in the General Election held on 29th May 2024. ii.The centre-right Democratic Alliance (DA), the 2nd biggest party in South Africa, secured almost 22% votes. iii.DA signed an agreement with ANC to form a Unity Government. About Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa: i.Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa founded National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) in 1982. ii.He was elected Secretary General of ANC in 1991. Later, he was elevated to the post of Deputy President of ANC in December 2012. iii.He became a Member of Parliament and was elected as chairman of the constituent assembly after the 1st Democratic Elections of South Africa held in 1994. iv.He was appointed as Deputy Chairman of National Planning Commission, constituted to develop a framework for development of South Africa in 2010. v.For the 1st time, he was appointed Deputy President of South Africa in 2014. vi.He became the President of South Africa for the 1st time in 2018, by replacing Jacob Zuma as both President and ANC Leader. Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh Assumes charge as Chairman of IIPA for 3rd Consecutive Term Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (MoS) in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPP&P) has assumed the charge as Chairman of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) for the 3rd consecutive term at the IIPA campus in New Delhi, Delhi. He has been serving as Chairman of the IIPA since 2020. About Dr. Jitendra Singh: i.Dr. Jitendra Singh is a Physician specialising in diabetes and endocrinology. He has also contributed to newspapers as a columnist and he has authored 8 books. iii.Dr Singh began his political journey in 2008. He was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice representing Udhampur Constituency, Jammu & Kashmir, in 2014, 2019, and 2024. iv.Presently he has been serving as the: 25  MoS (Independent Charge (I/C)) in the Ministry of Science and Technology(MoS&T); and Ministry of Earth Sciences(MoES). MoS, Prime Minister‟s Office (PMO); MoS, Department of Atomic Energy(DAE); MoS, Department of Space(DoS); and MoS, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions(MoPP&P). v.Previously, he was the MoS (I/C) in the Ministry of Development of the North Eastern Region(MDoNER) from 2014 to 2019; and from 2019 to 2021. About Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA): The IIPA was created under the Societies Act of 1860 and was formally inaugurated by the 1st Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, as the 1st President of the Society, on 29 March 1954 in New Delhi. President – JagdeepDhankhar Director General– Surendra Nath Tripathi Headquarters– New Delhi, Delhi MoE Constitutes 7 Member Committee To Reform Examination Process, NTA Functioning The Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education (MoE) has constituted a seven- member high-level committee to make recommendations on reform in the examination process, improvement in data security protocols and functioning of the National Testing Agency(NTA).  The committee is headed by Dr K. Radhakrishnan, the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Chairman Board of Governors (BoG), Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) Kanpur. Note: The committee shall submit its report to the MoE within two months from the date of issue of this order. About the committee: i.The objective of the committee is to ensure transparent, smooth and fair conduct of examinations through NTA. ii.The terms of reference of the committee includes analysing the end-to-end examination process and suggest measures to improve efficiency of the system, conduct review of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP‟s) of the NTA. iii.The committee examines existing security protocols related to the paper-setting and other processes for different examinations and makes recommendations to enhance the robustness of the system. Members: The other six members of the committee are: 26  Dr Randeep Guleria (Former Director, of All India Institute of Medical Sciences-AIIMS Delhi) Professor B J Rao (Vice Chancellor, Central University of Hyderabad, Telangana) Prof. Ramamurthy K (Professor Emeritus, Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras) PankajBansal (Co-Founder, People Strong and Board Member- Karmayogi Bharat) Prof. Aditya Mittal (Dean of Student Affairs, IIT Delhi) Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, MoE). Background: This development comes after the irregularities/ paper leaks of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test – Undergraduate (NEET-UG) and cancellation of University Grants Commission–National Eligibility Test (UGC-NET). About Ministry of Education (MoE): Union Minister – DharmendraPradhan (LokSabha Constituency – Sambalpur, Odisha) Minister of State (MoS) – Sukanta Majumdar (LokSabha Constituency – Balurghat, West Bengal, WB); JayantChaudhary (Independent Charge) (RajyaSabha, Uttar Pradesh, UP) IB Chief Tapan Kumar Deka & NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal Gets One Year Extension in Service The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet(ACC) headed by Prime Minister(PM) NarendraModi has approved a one-year extension in service to Tapan Kumar Deka as the Director of Intelligence Bureau (IB) beyond 30th June 2024 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.  He will continue to serve as Director of IB until 30th June 2025.  Tapan Kumar Deka, a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Himachal Pradesh(HP) cadre, began his 2 year tenure as IB chief in June 2022. About Tapan Kumar Deka: i.He is considered as an expert in „operations‟ especially in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) as well as in the Northeast (NE) region of India. ii.He has served as the head of the operations wing of the IB and was also in charge of the counter-assaults during the 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008. NHRC Secretary General Bharat Lal Gets One Year Extension in Service The ACC has also approved the extension in service of Bharat Lal as Secretary General (SG) 27 of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on contract basis for a period of one year beyond 30th June 2024.  He will continue his present position till June 30, 2025.  He has been serving as the SG of NHRC in the rank and pay of secretary to the GoI on contract basis since 2023. About Bharat Lal: i.BharatLal is a 1988-batch retired Indian Forest Service (IFoS) officer of Gujarat cadre. ii.He has served as the Director General (DG), National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG). iii.He has also served as the Additional Secretary to the President of India Shri Ram Nath Kovind from 2017-2019. iv.He also worked as Founder Mission Director of „JalJeevan Mission‟. About Intelligence Bureau (IB): Director- Tapan Kumar Deka Headquarters – New Delhi, Delhi Formed- 1887 K-Pop Group SEVENTEEN Appointed UNESCO‟s First-Ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth On 26 June 2024, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), appointed SEVENTEEN, the South Korean (K-Pop) boy band with 13 members, as UNESCO‟s first-ever Goodwill Ambassador for Youth, during a ceremony held in Paris, France.  UNESCO and K-pop group SEVENTEEN launched a joint program called “Going Together – For Youth Creativity and Well-Being”, an ambitious joint grant programme for youth projects around the world.  SEVENTEEN will contribute USD 1 million to finance this initiative. About Global Youth Grant Scheme: i.UNESCO and SEVENTEEN‟s Global Youth Grant Scheme will support youth-led projects globally. ii.The scheme focuses on addressing the challenges impacting the well-being and development of young people through music, arts, and sports. iii.It will support project leaders aged 18 to 30, from diverse backgrounds and regions. iv.As Goodwill Ambassadors, SEVENTEEN will participate in UNESCO‟s campaigns and 28 events, and promote UNESCO‟s values during their performances. Points to Note: i.In 2022, SEVENTEEN launched the „#GoingTogether‟ initiative with the Korean National Commission for UNESCO (KNCU), aiding in establishing new education centers in Timor-Leste and educational aid in Malawi. ii.Through the UNESCO Youth Forum, UNESCO has created a direct line of communication between young people and leaders of its 194 Member States. Note: The appointment follows SEVENTEEN‟s participation in the 13th UNESCO Youth Forum held in Paris in November 2023 delivering a speech and performing live for the 1st time in France, reaching over 40 million online viewers. Members of Seventeen(stage name): S.Coups, Jeonghan, Joshua, Jun, Hoshi, Wonwoo, Woozi, The8, Mingyu, DK, Seungkwan, Vernon, and Dino. Om Birla Elected Speaker of 18th Lok Sabha for 2nd Consecutive Term by Voice Vote On 26th June 2024, Om Birla (61-year old), candidate of ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), was elected as the Speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha(Lower House of the Parliament) for 2nd consecutive term by a voice vote. i.He was elected against opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc‟s candidate, Kodikunnil Suresh, 8 time-Member of Parliament (MP) from Mavelikkara constituency, Kerala ii.On 26th June 2024, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla formally recognised Congress party leader, Rahul Gandhi as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in 18th Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament).  He has been recognised as the LoP under Section 2 of the Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977. 29  Honours/ Awards Reliance, Tata Group & Serum Institute Featured on TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2024 i.Three Indian Companies namely Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), Tata Group and Serum Institute of India (SII) are featured on the “TIME100 Most Influential Companies 2024” published by TIME, the New York based American Magazine. Thisis the 4th edition of TIME‟s annual list featuring world‟s most Most Influential Companies. RIL and Tata Group are been featured under the “Titans” category and SII is featured under the “Pioneer” category. ii.Rare Beauty, founded by American Singer and Actor Selena Gomez, is featured under the “Leaders” categories. iii.The list also featured noted companies like Microsoft, TikTok, Disney, Pfizer and Bank of America under Titans category; Google and Huawei under Innovators category. About TIME Magazine: CEO– Jessica Sibley Headquarters- New York, The United States of America (USA) Created in- 1923. Bloomberg Billionaires Index: Gautam Adani Ranked 11th Richest Globally & Became Asia‟s Richest Person According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index (as of 1st June 2024), Gautam Adani, the Founder and Chairman of the Adani Group is now ranked the 11th richest globally, with a net worth of USD 111 billion. With this, he has reclaimed the title of Asia‟s richest person after a surge in the stock prices of his conglomerate‟s companies. This surge enabled him to overtake Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), who ranked 12th with a net worth of USD 109 billion. Accordingto the index, Adani‟s net worth has increased by USD 26.8 billion while Ambani‟s wealth has increased by USD 12.7 billion. Adani Enterprises, the group‟s flagship company, reported revenue of USD 17 billion in the year to March 31, 2023. Note: The Bloomberg Billionaires Index is a daily ranking of the world‟s richest people. Accordingto the index, Bernard Arnault of France ranked 1st, followed by Elon Musk (2nd) and Jeff Bezos (3rd) of the United States (US). 30 Vellayan Subbiah Named EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 Vellayan Subbiah, Executive Vice-Chairman of Tube Investments of India (TII) and Chairman of Cholamandalam (Chola) Investment and Finance Company Limited has been named as the Ernst & Young (EY) World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 at an award ceremony held in Salle des Etoiles, Monaco. Key Points: i.Vellayan was selected from among nearly 5,000 program participants that included 51 winners across 47 countries and jurisdictions competing for the global title. ii.It marks the fourth time, an entrepreneur from India has won this global title in this award‟s 24 – year history and also makes India the only country among EY regions to win the global entrepreneurship award four times. Note: Narayana Murthy (2003), Uday Kotak (2014) and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (2023) are the other Indians to win this award. About EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards: i.EY Entrepreneur of the Year is the only global program of its kind for entrepreneurs. This flagship initiative celebrates leaders who are driving industry transformation, fostering economic growth, and addressing global challenges. ii.It is sponsored by Ernst & Young Global Limited (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award which is held in more than 140 cities and in more than 50 countries. iii.The EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024 was chosen by an independent panel of judges against four criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth and impact. About Vellayan Subbiah: i.Vellayan is a transformative business leader, began his professional journey as an engineer and then shifted towards entrepreneurship. ii.Vellayan first successfully navigated Chola through the fallout of a troubled partnership and then became the Chairman of the company. Alia Bhatt Launches Her Debut Children‟s Book Titled “Ed Finds A Home” Alia Bhatt, Bollywood actress, has launched her debut children‟s picture book seriestitled„Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds a Home‟, sharing her passion for storytelling. The book features illustrations by Tanvi Bhat. Ed Finds A Home is the first in the series inspired by her kids wear brand Ed-a- Mamma. Itis described as a picture book about caring for the planet and friendship with pets, published by Puffin Books India, the children‟s imprint of Penguin Books India. Note: Alia founded kidswear and maternity wear brand Ed-a-Mamma in 2020. Siddesh Sakore, Indian Farmer from Maharashtra Named Land Hero by UNCCD Siddesh Sakore, a farmer from Kendur village, Maharashtra (India) and founder of AGRO RANGERS has been named as the „Land Hero‟ by the United Nations Convention to Combat 31 Desertification (UNCCD) on the occasion of World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought (WDCCD) i.e. on 17th June 2024. Sakore along with 9 others were recognised as „Land Heroes‟ ,during a programme of 30th anniversary of the UNCCD hosted by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn, Germany. Theme of 2024 WDCCD is, “United for Land : Our Legacy. Our Future”. About Siddesh Sakore: i.He worked as intern for an Non-Government Organisation (NGO) named, Vigyan Ashram and developed a scalable project around waste management for Pune city, Maharashtra. ii.He founded AGRO RANGERS with objective of empowering small and marginalized farmers to tackle soil degradation and climate change challenges. About United Nations (UN) Convention to Combat Desertification (UCCD): UNCCD is the only legally binding global agreement dedicated to sustainable land management. At present, it is ratified by 196 countries and the European Union (EU). Executive Secretary – Ibrahim Thiaw Headquarters – Bonn, Germany Established – 17th June, 1994 Virat Kohli Tops Kroll‟s 2023 Celebrity Brand Valuation Report with USD 228 Million According to Kroll‟s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023: Brands, Business, Bollywood, Former Indian Cricketer team Captain ViratKohli has reclaimed the top spot as India‟s most valued celebrity with a brand value of USD 227.9 million, USD 51 million(mn) higher than 2022. Bollywood Actor Ranveer Singh, who topped the 2022 list, dropped to the 2nd position with a brand value of USD 203.1 million. Shah RukhKhan(3rd), Akshay Kumar(4th) and Alia Bhatt (5th) are among the top 5. This is the 9th edition of Kroll‟s celebrity brand valuation report. Note: Brand value of ViratKohli and Ranveer Singh have surpassed the USD 200 million mark for the 1st time. About Kroll: Kroll is leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, established as Duff and Phelps in 1932. Later, renamed as Kroll in 2021-2022. Headquarters- New York, the United States of America (USA) 32 Globally Acclaimed Filmmaker Vinod Ganatra Becomes 1st Indian to Receive „Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award‟ of South Africa Vinod Ganatra, a globally renowned filmmaker and editor from Gujarat, now based in Mumbai, Maharashtra has become the 1st Indian to be honoured with the „Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award„ of South Africa for his contribution to films. He was conferred with the award at the 7th Nelson Mandela Children‟s Film Festival in Johannesburg, South Africa for his outstanding contribution to children‟s cinema. Note: 18 July is observed as Nelson Mandela International Day. About Vinod Ganatra: i.Vinod Ganatra has been active in Film and Television Production since 1982. He directed his debut feature film Heda-Hoda (The Blind Camel). ii.He has edited and directed over 400 Documentaries and News Reels and produced about 25 TV Programmes for Children & Youth. iii.He has made 3 Children‟s Films for the Children‟s Film Society India (CFSI) and these films have won 23 International Awards. iv.He served on the jury of over 100 national, regional, and international film festivals for about 3 decades. Awards/Recognitions: Ganatra has bagged about 36 national and international awards that include the following: i.He is the only Indian recipient of The LivUllmann Peace Prize, Chicago, for his Gujarati film, „Harun-Arun‟ at the 26th Chicago International Children‟s Film Festival. ii.He received the Dada Saheb Phalke-Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Film & Video Editors. His 1st TV programme Baingan Raja was telecast 17 times. iv.His film, Hide-N-Seek (Lukka Chhuppi) is listed in the Limca Book of World Records as 1st Children‟s Feature Film Fully Shot at the highest altitude at Ladakh in the Himalayas. Kozhikode Officially Declared as India‟s First UNESCO “City of Literature” On 23rd June 2024, Kozhikode in north Kerala has become the first Indian city to be be officially declared as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) “City of Literature”.  P A Mohammed Riyas, Tourism Minister, Kerala unveiled the logo of the “City of Literature” by UNESCO.  MB Rajesh, State Local Self Government Department (LSGD), Kerala in an official event held in 33  Kozhikode, Kerala declared that from 2024 onwards, 23rd June will celebrated as the “City of Literature” Day of Kozhikode across Kerala. About United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO): Director General (DG)- Audrey Azoulay Headquarters- Paris, France Established- 1945 Renowned Indian Author Arundhati Roy Won PEN Pinter Prize 2024 Renowned Indian Author „Arundhati Roy‟ has won the prestigious PEN(Poet, Playwright, Editors Essayist, Novelist) Pinter Prize 2024 for her „unflinching and unswerving‟ writings.  The prize is shared with a designated „Writer of Courage‟, someone who has been persecuted for speaking out about her or his beliefs.  She is set to receive the award at a ceremony co-hosted by the British Library (BL), London, United Kingdom (UK) on October 10 2024. Selection Process: Arundhati Roy was chosen for the award by a panel of judges: Ruth Borthwick (Chair of English PEN); Khalid Abdalla (Actor and Activist) and Roger Robinson (Writer and Musician). About PEN Pinter Prize: i.PEN Pinter Prize was established in 2009 and set up by the English PEN, a founding centre of a global literary network that promotes literature and human rights. It aims to recognise „Writers of Courage‟. ii.The prize was given in memory of playwright Harold Pinter, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 2005. iii.The award is given annually to a writer who is a resident of the UK, the Republic of Ireland or the Commonwealth. The award is given to writers in the English language. About Arundhati Roy: i.Arundhati Roy is one of the well-known representatives of the contemporary generation of Indian writers who writes in English. Roy, currently facing the threat of prosecution over historic comments on Kashmir 14 years ago. ii.She is a well known author, screenwriter, activist, actress, peace activist, who has written numerous books and non-fiction essays. iii.Some of her notable works includes: The Cost of Living (1999); Power Politics (2001); Field Notes on Democracy: Listening to Grasshoppers (2009); Ministry of Utmost Happiness 34 (2017)and Broken Republic: Three Essays (2011). Other Awards & Honours: i.Roy won the prestigious Booker Prize for Fiction for her debut novel „The God of Small Things‟ in 1997. She became the first Indian writer to win this award. ii.She was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize for her work in social campaigns and advocacy of non-violence in May 2004. Brand Finance‟s INDIA 100 2024: Tata Group Retains No.1 Position as India‟s Most Valuable Brand According to the Brand Finance‟s India 100 2024: The annual report on the most valuable and strongest Indian brands June 2024, TATA Group retained the Number 1 position in the Brand Value Ranking 2024 with a 9% growth in brand value to USD 28.6 billion. TATA Group, the most valuable brand in India, became the 1st Indian brand to near a USD 30 million brand value mark.  Infosys continues to retain its 2nd spot, with a steady 9% growth in brand value (USD 14.2 billion), followed by HDFC Group in the 3rd spot with a brand value of USD 10.4 billion.  Taj retains its reputation as the strongest Indian brand for the 3rd consecutive year with a AAA+ brand strength rating. 35  Sports Boxing Federation of India quits IBA and Joins World Boxing The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has parted ways with the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA) and became a member of World Boxing with the aim to reduce the threat to boxing‟s Olympic future. Reason for Quitting IBA : The decision was taken after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) warned the national federation to leave boxing out of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they continued to be a part of the International Boxing Association (IBA). Note: i.The IOC had de-recognised the IBA in 2019 due to continuous financial, sports integrity, and governance issues. ii.It will be the second consecutive time, after the Tokyo Olympics, that the IBA will have no involvement in tournaments at the Paris Olympics. About International Boxing Association (IBA): The International Boxing Association (IBA) is a non-profit international organization that succeeded the former Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur in 1946 and is the only worldwide governing body for all forms of boxing. Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland President – Umar Kremlev About International Olympic Committee (IOC): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is a not-for-profit independent international organisation that is committed to make a better world through sport. It was established on 23rd June 1894, just under two years before the first Olympic Games took place in April 1896. Boxing at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be overseen by the IOC. Headquarters – Lausanne, Switzerland President -Thomas Bach Dinesh Karthik officially announces retirement from all forms of cricket India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik officially announced his retirement from all forms of cricket on June 1,2024 after playing for India for 20 years. About Career Achievements of Dinesh Karthik : i.DineshKarthik became a public figure after his aerial stump of Michael Vaughan in England when he was under Sourav Ganguly in 2004. ii.He made his national debut at the age of 19 in a One-Day International against England at Lord‟s. In his 401 T20 appearances, Karthik retires with 7407 runs, including 34 half-centuries, at a strike-rate of nearly 137. iii. In his 17 years of IPL career, Karthik played for six franchises. He started his session 36 in 2008 with the Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and moved to Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings – 2011), Mumbai Indians (2012-13), Gujarat Lions (2016-17), Kolkata Knight Riders (2018-21) and RCB (2015, 2022-present). iv.He ended up his IPL career with a total of 4,842 runs in 257 matches (joint second-most with Rohit Sharma), along with 22 fifties.. v.He last represented India during the T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia against Zimbabwe under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma. In his cricket career, he has also played under Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and ViratKohli. Norway Chess 2024: Magnus Carlsen, Ju Wenjun Emerge as Champions, Praggnanandhaa Finishes 3rd Norwegian Grandmaster (GM) Magnus Carlsen (World No.1) won the 2024 Norway Chess Title beating Fabiano Caruana of the United States of America (USA) in the final round Armageddon tie-breaker. This marks Carlsen‟s 6th Norway Chess Title. HikaruNakamura (USA) secured the 2nd spot with 15.5 points despite losing to Indian GM R.Praggnanandhaa, who concluded third with 14.5 points. Women‟s World Champion Ju Wenjun (China) won the Women‟s Norway Chess title defeating Lei Tingjie (China). The 12th edition of the Norway Chess super-tournament was held from May 27 to June 7 2024 in Stavanger, Norway. Prize Money: Magnus Carlsen and Ju Wenjun were awarded prize money of around USD 65,000. Key Highlights: i.Alireza Firouzja (France) won the 4th spot after defeating World champion Ding Liren (China) who clinched the 6th spot behind Fabiano Caruana (USA) who gained the 5th ii.In the women‟s category, Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine) gained the 2nd spot while Lei Tingjie (China) finished at the 3rd position. iii.The Indian women player Vaishali Rameshbabu stood 4th after the defeat from Pia Cramling (Sweden) while Koneru Humpy finished 5th after losing to Anna Muzychuk (Ukraine). Note: R.Praggnanandhaa has become the first ever player to have defeated the top three- Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana and Hikaru Nakamura in the Norway Chess 2024. About Magnus Carlsen: i.Magnus Carlsen won the world title in 2013 and has successfully defended it four times (2014, 2016, 2018, and 2021). 37 Formula 1: Max Verstappen Wins Canadian Grand Prix for Third Straight Year Dutch-Belgian racing driver Max Verstappen of Red Bull won the Formula 1 (F1) Canadian Grand Prix 2024 (AWS GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2024) title, the 9th round of the 2024 F1 championships at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. i.McLaren‟s Lando Norris finished second, and Mercedes‟s George Russell finished third in the Canadian Grand Prix 2024. ii.The victory marks Verstappen‟s 60th Formula 1 win and his sixth in nine races this season. iii.George Russell achieved Mercedes‟s first Grand Prix podium finish for the Formula 1 season 2024. iv.It marks Verstappen‟s third consecutive Canadian GP title; previously, he won it in 2022 and 2023. About Max Verstappen : i.Max Verstappen won 6 out of 9 races of the F1 events in 2024, including: Bahrain Grand Prix Saudi Arabian Grand Prix Japanese Grand Prix Chinese Grand Prix Emilia Romagna Grand Prix Canadian Grand Prix Indian Footballer Sunil Chhetri Retires from International Football On 6th June 2024, Sunil Chhetri(39 years old), legendary Indian Footballer and the captain of the Indian National football Team(nicknamed “the Blue Tigers”) since 2012, retired from international football, after India‟s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier against Kuwait. Note: The India Vs Kuwait FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier was held at the Vivekananda Yuba Bharati stadium in Salt Lake, Kolkata, West Bengal. The match ended with a 0-0 draw. About Sunil Chhetri: i.Sunil Chhetri, hailing from Secunderabad (Telangana), begun his professional football career with Mohun Bagan in 2002. He ended his 19 year long career representing India with 151 appearances and 94 goals. 38  With 94 international goals, Sunil Chhetri is the 4-highest goal-scorer behind Cristiano Ronaldo(128), Iran‟s retired Ali Daei(108) and Lionel Messi(106). He played his 150th game against Afghanistan in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier and scored his 94th international goal. ii.He made his senior-level debut for India in June 2005 against Pakistan wherein he scored his first International goal against Pakistan. iii.In the Indian Super League (ISL), He has played for Mumbai City FC in 2015 and 2016 and joined Bengaluru FC in 2017. With 61 goals in 155 matches, he is the highest Indian goal-scorer in the Indian Super League and the first Indian to have hit a hat-trick in ISL. iii.He holds the record as the first Indian player to play in three continents(Asia; America and Europe). Awards: i.Government of India honoured him with Arjuna Award (football) in 2011; Padma Shri for Sports-Football in 2019 and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award (football) in 2021. He was the first footballer to receive the Khel Ratna award, India‟s highest sporting honour. ii.He has won the prestigious All India Football Federation (AIFF) Player of the Year title a total of seven times in 2007, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018-19 and 2021-22 seasons. Tennis: French Open 2024: Carlos Alcaraz won Men‟s Singles title & Iga Swiatek won Women‟s Singles title Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz(21 years old) won the Men‟s singles title at the French Open 2024 (also known as Roland-Garros) by defeating Alexander Zverev of Germany in the finals held at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. The 2024 French Open was held from 26th May to 9th June 2024 at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France. Winners of French Open 2024: i.World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland won the Women‟s singles title at the 2024 French Open defeating Jasmine Paolini of Italy. This marks her 4th French Open title and 5th Grand Slam title. ii.El Salvador‟s Marcelo Arevalo and Croatia‟s Mate Pavic secured the Men‟s Doubles title after defeating Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori. This is the first Grand Slam title of the pair. iii.Coco Gauff (The United States of America-USA) and Katerina Siniakova (Czech Republic) won the French Open‟s women‟s doubles title by defeating the Italian pair Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani. iv.Germany‟s Laura Siegemund and France‟s Edouard Roger-Vasselin won the mixed doubles title after defeating the two-time Wimbledon Champions Desirae Krawczyk (USA) and Neal Skupski (Britain). 39 SumitNagal Finishes as Runner-Up at ATP Challenger 125 Perugia Indian tennis player SumitNagal finished as runner-up in the Men‟s Singles at the Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia 2024 (ATP Challenger 125 Perugia), a part of Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Challenger Tour 2024, held in Perugia, Italy. Italy‟s Luciano Darderi won the Men‟s Singles title by defeating SumitNagal in the finals. Following his win, the 22-year-old rose to No. 34 in the PIF ATP Rankings. 2024 ATP Challenger 125 Perugia, the 9th edition of the tournament, was organised by MEF Tennis Events at the Tennis Club Perugia from 9th to 16th June 2024. Note: i.ATP Challenger 125 tournaments are the second highest tier of annual men‟s tennis tournaments on the ATP Challenger Tour, with 125 ranking points awarded to each singles champion. ii.Internazionali di Tennis Città di Perugia is also known as GruppoItalianoMangimi (G.I.Ma Tennis Cup) SumitNagal achieved career-high Ranking of 71 With this victory, 26-year-old SumitNagal has reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of 71, so far he has secured 777 ATP points. His previous best was 77. Career-high singles ranking achieved by other Indian players: Leander Paes (73 in 1998); SashiMenon (71 in 1975); SomdevDevvarman (62), Ramesh Krishnan (23) and Vijay Amritraj (18). About SumitNagal: i.SumitNagal will be the only Indian participating in the Men‟s singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics. ii.During the Australian Open 2024, He defeated Kazakh Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan and became the first Indian man in 35 years to defeat a top-ranked player in a Slam. Men‟s Doubles: India‟s SriramBalaji Narayanaswamy and his partner Andre Begemann of Germany finished as runners-up in the Men‟s Doubles. They were defeated by Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela of Mexico and Guido Andreozzi of Argentina in the finals of the tournament. 40 Winners of ATP Challenger 125 Perugia: Category Winners Runner-ups Men‟s Luciano Darderi (Italy) SumitNagal(India) Singles Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela Men‟s SriramBalajiNarayanaswamy (India) (Mexico) & Guido Andreozzi Doubles & Andre Begemann (Germany) (Argentina) World Athletics Continental Gold Tour 2024: Neeraj Chopra Secures Gold in the Javelin Throw in PaavoNurmi Games 2024 Olympic and World Champion Neeraj Chopra secured a gold medal with 85.97m in the third attempt in men‟s javelin throw at PaavoNurmi Games 2024, a World Athletics Continental Tour (Gold level) event held on 18th June 2024 in Turku, Finland (Europe). Finland‟s Toni Keranen claimed the silver medal with a personal best throw of 84.19m, and Oliver Helander (Finland) won the bronze medal with 83.96m. Max Dehning, the 19-year-old German, become the youngest man to throw 90m earlier in February 2024, finished seventh with 79.84m. About Neeraj Chopra: i.Neeraj secured the second position in the Doha Diamond League 2024 (Doha, Qatar) with an 88.36m throw. ii.He claimed the top spot at the 27th Federation Cup in Bhubaneswar (Odisha) held in May 2024. iii.Previously, he won the gold at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. He also won the gold at the 2023 Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. About PaavoNurmi Games i.ThePaavoNurmi Games is an annual track and field meet that takes place at PaavoNurmi Stadium in Turku, Finland. It is organised to honor the memory of PaavoNurmi, a Finnish athlete who were nicknamed the „Flying Finns‟. The event was first held in 1957. 41 F1: Red Bull‟s Max Verstappen won the 2024 Spanish GP Title On 23 June 2024, Red Bull‟s Max Verstappen, a Belgian-Dutch racing driver, won the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix (GP) (officially known as the Formula 1 (F1) Aramco Gran Premio de España 2024) held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Montmeló, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.  This marks Verstappen‟s 3rd Spanish GP title in a row and his 4th Spanish GP (overall) at this track. He has previously won the title in 2016, 2022, & 2023.  McLaren‟s Lando Norris, a British and Belgian racing driver and Mercedes‟ Lewis Hamilton, a British racing driver, finished 2nd and 3rd respectively. Podium finish: Position Driver Team Points 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 25 2 Lando Norris McLaren 19 3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 15 Note: i.So far Norris is the only driver to score points in all 10 races of the 2024 season. ii.This marks Lewis Hamilton‟s first GP podium of the 2024 season. Key Points: i.This victory marks Verstappen‟s 7th win in 11 races in 2024, and his 61st career win. ii.It marks the 5th time that Verstappen and Norris have finished 1-2 (in either order) in the last 6 races. iii.Now, Verstappen leads the F1 drivers‟ championship standings with 219 points followed by Norris in the 2nd 150 points, and Ferrari‟s Charles Leclerc (Monaco), in the 3rd with 148 points.  Norris has secured the 2nd position in the drivers‟ championship for the first time. iv.The 2024 Spanish GP marks the 10th round of the 2024 F1 World Championship. 42  Obituary Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, Padma Vibhushan Awardee and Ramoji Group Chairman, Passed away at 87 Cherukuri Ramoji Rao, Padma Vibhushan awardee and Chairman of Ramoji Group, passed away at 87 due to prolonged illness. He was born on November 16, 1936, in Pedaparupudi, Madras presidency (Present day Andhra Pradesh).  He produced about 50 films and telefilms in his lifetime. About Cherukuri Ramoji Rao: i.He headed the Ramoji Group, which includes: Ramoji Film City(RFC): World‟s largest film production facility. ii.He also owned Dolphin group of hotels, Kalanjali Saree Showrooms, Priya Foods and Mayuri Film Distributors Awards and honours : i.Rao was honoured with Padma Vibhushan, the 2nd highest civilian honour of India, in 2016 for his contributions to journalism, literature, and education. ii.He had received National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu(Producer) for „Nuvve Kavali‟. Renowned Bharatanatyam Dancer & Padma Bhushan Awardee C V Chandrasekhar Passed Away Professor C V Chandrasekhar (fondly referred to as CVC or Chandru anna), a renowned Bharatanatyam Dancer and Padma Bhushan Awardee, has passed away at the age of 89. He was born on 22nd May 1935 at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. In 2011, He was awarded the prestigious „Padma Bhushan‟ (Arts) for his contributions in Bharatanatyam. About C V Chandrasekhar: i.C V Chandrasekhar, an academician, dancer, musician, choreographer and mentor began his formal training in dance at Kalakshetra Foundation (formerly Kalakshetra), Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN) in 1946. ii.His notable choreographic productions are Kalidasa‟s „Ritu Samharam‟ and „Meghadootham‟, „Aparajitha‟, „Pancha Maha Bhootham‟, „Arohanam‟, „Bhoomija‟ and „Bhramarageeth‟. iii.He also worked as faculty in Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh(UP) and Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSUB) in Vadodara, Gujarat. 43 Awards & Honours: i.In 2013, He received the M N Subramanian Memorial Award at the Music Academy, Chennai, TN. ii.He was conferred Natya Kalanidhi award by the Association of Bharatanatyam Artistes of India (ABHAI) in 2013. iii.He also received the UP Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1978), Gujarat Nrutya Natak Akademi Award (1988) and Kalidas Samman (2008). iv.He also received several awards like Sangeeta Kala Acharya from the Music Academy and NrityaChoodamani from Sri Krishna GanaSabha. Frank Duckworth, Co-inventor of DLS Method, Passed Away Frank Carter Duckworth, an English statistician and co-inventor of the Duckworth-Lewis- Stern (DLS) method, passed away at the age of 84. He was born on 26th December 1939 in Lancashire, United Kingdom (UK).  He was elected a fellow of the Royal Statistical Society (RSS) in 1974 and was awarded the Chambers Medal for outstanding services to the Society by the RSS in 2004. DLS Method: i.DLS Method, invented by Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis, is a mathematical calculation to calculate target scores when the rain interrupts the match. ii.It was first used in a match between Zimbabwe and England in January 1997 and was formally adopted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1999. iii.Duckworth-Lewis method was renamed as the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in 2014 after Australian statistician Steven Stern made some modifications. Note: Duckworth and Lewis were awarded MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in June 2010. 44  Important Days with theme World No-Tobacco Day 2024 – May 31 World No-Tobacco Day (WNTD) is annually observed across the globe on 31st May to draw attention to the global tobacco epidemic, and the preventable death and disease caused by tobacco. WNTD aims to inform the general public on the dangers of using tobacco, and the business practices of tobacco companies. The observance of WNTD is led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The theme of WNTD 2024 is “Protecting children from tobacco industry interference”. Background: i.The WHO established World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to highlight the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. ii.In 1988, WHA passed a resolution WHA42.19 and called for the celebration of 31st May of every year as World No Tobacco Day. World Bicycle Day 2024 – June 3 The United Nations (UN) World Bicycle Day is annually observed across the globe on 3 June to raise awareness of the Bicycle, a clean and environmentally fit sustainable transport system that promotes economic growth and reduces inequalities. This Day promotes bicycles as an affordable, reliable, and sustainable means of transportation to combat climate change towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Background: i.On 12 April 2018, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/72/272, proclaiming the 3 June as World Bicycle Day. ii.The resolution was adopted by a consensus of 193 member states, sponsored by Turkmenistan and co-sponsored by some 56 countries. iii.The first-ever UN-designated World Bicycle Day was observed on 3 June 2018. World Environment Day 2024 – June 5 The United Nations (UN) World Environment Day (WED) is annually observed across the globe on 5 June to emphasise the critical importance of environmental protection and health.  The WED event has been led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 45  the specialised UN agency on environmental issues, since 1973. The 2024 theme of the WED campaign is, “Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience” under the slogan “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.” Host: The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the global host of World Environment Day 2024. The Republic of Korea will host WED 2025 with a focus on ending plastic pollution globally. Background: i.On 15 December 1972, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution (A/RES/2994 (XXVII)), designating June 5 as World Environment Day. ii.The first-ever World Environment Day was observed on 5 June 1973. World Oceans Day 2024 – June 8 The United Nations (UN) World Oceans Day is annually observed across the globe on 8 June to raise awareness about the impact of human actions on the ocean, develop a global movement for ocean conservation, and unite the world‟s population for sustainable ocean management. World Oceans Day 2024 was hosted by the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea of the Office of Legal Affairs (DOALOS) of the UN, in partnership with the non-profit organisation Oceanic Global. World Oceans Day 2024 was celebrated under the theme “Awaken New Depths.” India‟s Radhanagar Beach on the Havelock Island (officially known as Swaraj Dweep), was ranked 2nd in Tripadvisor‟s Top 10 Sustainable Beaches in the World. Background: i.Oceans Day was 1st proposed by the Government of Canada on 8 June 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a parallel event during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). ii.On 5 December 2008, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/63/111, proclaiming 8 June as World Oceans Day. iii.The 1st ever World Oceans Day was observed on 8 June 2009. World Blood Donor Day 2024 – June 14 World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is annually observed across the globe on 14 June to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products and express gratitude to voluntary, unpaid blood donors. The annual observance of WBDD is led by the World Health Organisation (WHO). 14 June 2024 commemorates the 20th anniversary of WBDD. 46 The 2024 theme/slogan of WBDD is, “20 years of celebrating giving: thank you, blood donors!” The hostcountry of the WBDD 2024 is Perú. The events are organised together with the Ministry of Health of Peru. Background: i.The WBDD was established by the WHO in 2004 to mark the birthday anniversary of an Austrian-American biologist and physician Karl Landsteiner (1868–1943), who discovered the ABO blood groups in 1901. The 1st WBDD was observed on 14 June 2004. ii.Following the successful 1st observance, the 58th World Health Assembly (WHA) in 2005 adopted the resolution WHA58.13 titled, “Blood safety: proposal to establish World Blood Donor Day,” and agreed to celebrate WBDD on 14 June each year. 10th International Day of Yoga – 21 June 2024 The United Nations (UN)‟s International Day of Yoga (IDY) is annually observed across the globe on 21 June to raise awareness about the benefits of practicing yoga, a 5,000-year-old ancient practice that originated from India. 21st June 2024 marks the observance of the 10th IDY. The 2024 theme of IDY is “Yoga for Self and Society.” Background: i.On 11 December 2014, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the resolution A/RES/69/131, proclaiming 21 June of every year as the International Day of Yoga. ii.The 1st ever IDY was observed on 21 June 2015. iii.The resolution establishing the IDY was proposed by India and endorsed by 175 member states. International Day of Celebration of the Solstice 2024 – June 21 The United Nations (UN)‟s International Day of Celebration of the Solstice is annually observed across the globe on June 21 to highlight the importance and significance of solstice in various religions and ethnic cultur