Current Affairs 12th June 2024
Welcome to your one-stop shop for catching up on everything that happened on June 12th, 2024! This day wasn’t just any Wednesday – it was a day marked by international awareness, significant political shifts, and scientific advancements. From global efforts to eradicate child labor to leadership changes in Indian states, “Current Affairs 12th June 2024” dives deep into the day’s most noteworthy events. So, buckle up and get ready to be informed!
NATIONAL AFFAIRS
1) Narendra Modi Sworn in as Prime Minister for Third Term
On June 9, 2024, Narendra Modi, the leader of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), was sworn in as Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term. The ceremony took place on the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, where President Droupadi Murmu administered the oath of office to Prime Minister Modi and his council of 71 ministers. The new government includes 30 Cabinet Ministers, 5 Ministers of State (MoS) with independent charge, and 36 Ministers of State.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) secured 293 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha general election, which was less than the exit polls had predicted. The opposition managed to secure 234 out of the 543 seats, making it a significant force in the Lok Sabha. This is the first time Modi is leading a coalition government.
2) Sub-Lieutenant Anamika Rajeev Makes History as Indian Navy’s First Female Helicopter Pilot
Sub-Lieutenant Anamika B. Rajeev has become the first woman to join the Indian Navy as a helicopter pilot. She and Lieutenant Jamyang Tsewang, Ladakh’s first Commissioned Naval Officer, were among 21 officers awarded the Golden Wings at the passing out parade on June 7, 2024, at INS Rajali in Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu. The ceremony marked the completion of their Stage I training for the 4th Basic Helicopter Conversion Course (BHCC) and graduation from the 102nd Helicopter Conversion Course (HCC).
Anamika will be qualified to operate various helicopters, including Sea Kings, ALH Dhruvs, Chetaks, and MH-60R Seahawks. It is noteworthy that in 2018, pilot officer Avani Chaturvedi of the Indian Air Force became the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo.
INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
3) India Participates in BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in Russia
On June 10, 2024, India attended the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by Russia in Nizhny Novgorod. The meeting was chaired by Russia’s Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, and India’s delegation was headed by Dammu Ravi, Secretary (Economic Relations) of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
This was India’s first foreign policy engagement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. The meeting was significant as it marked the first foreign ministers’ gathering since BRICS expanded in 2023.
4) Global Investment in Clean Energy to Reach USD 2 Trillion by 2024, According to IEA
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) annual report, “World Energy Investment Report 2024,” predicts that global investment in clean energy technology and infrastructure will reach USD 2 trillion by 2024, more than double the investment in fossil fuels. The report estimates that overall energy investment will exceed USD 3 trillion for the first time in 2024.
The report highlights that clean energy technologies such as renewables, electric vehicles, nuclear power, grids, storage, and low-emission fuels will receive significant investments. Solar Photovoltaic (PV) technology is expected to revolutionize the electricity industry, with combined investment in renewable and nuclear energy generation projected to be ten times that of fossil fuel-fired power by 2024.
5) Indian Startups Pixxel, Sarvam AI, and Niramai Health Analytix Among WEF’s Technology Pioneers 2024
Pixxel, Sarvam AI, and Niramai Health Analytix are among the ten Indian startups listed in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Technology Pioneers 2024. The list includes 100 notable IT startups from 23 countries, with around 33% of these companies headed by women CEOs.
The Technology Pioneers 2024 List features nine space firms, including Pixxel from India, four neurotechnology startups, and four clean technology startups, including AmpereHour Energy and the International Battery Company from India.
BANKING & FINANCE
6) RBI Forms Committee to Set Up Digital Payments Intelligence Platform
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has constituted a committee chaired by Abhaya Prasad Hota, former MD and CEO of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), to study the establishment of a digital public infrastructure for the RBI’s planned Digital Payments Intelligence platform.
The committee, which includes representatives from various financial institutions such as State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank, as well as eminent personalities from the payments industry, is tasked with defining modalities to identify fraudulent transactions, recommending guidelines for customer data privacy, and suggesting ways to ensure the financial sustainability of the platform.
The committee is expected to submit its recommendations within two months.
Key facts about digital payments frauds in India include a 70.64% increase in domestic payments frauds from Rs 1,526 crore to Rs 2,604 crore, and a rise in the volume of frauds from 11.5 lakh to 15.51 lakh. The number of fraud cases reported to the RBI increased exponentially by 300%, with private sector banks reporting the most cases and public sector banks accounting for the highest value of frauds.
The RBI has proposed several measures, including revising the definition of bulk deposits, introducing an auto-replenishment facility for Fastag, National Common Mobility Card (NCMC), and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Lite under the e-mandate framework, and exempting Fastags, NCMCs, and UPI Lite from pre-debt notification requirements.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
7) 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 Investment and Finance Company Limited, has been named Ernst & Young (EY) World Entrepreneur of the Year 2024. He was selected from nearly 5,000 program participants, including 51 winners from 47 countries and jurisdictions.
Subbiah’s win marks the fourth time an Indian entrepreneur has secured this global title in the award’s 24-year history, making India the only country among EY regions to win the global entrepreneurship award four times. Previous Indian winners include Narayana Murthy (2003), Uday Kotak (2014), and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (2023).
The EY World Entrepreneur of the Year Awards recognize leaders who are driving industry transformation, fostering economic growth, and addressing global challenges. Subbiah was chosen by an independent panel of judges based on four criteria: entrepreneurial spirit, purpose, growth, and impact.
Click here to read: Current Affairs 11th June 2024
APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS
8) Prem Singh Tamang Sworn in as Chief Minister of Sikkim for Second Term
On June 10, 2024, Prem Singh Tamang, President of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Sikkim for the second consecutive term. Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya administered the oath of office and secrecy to Tamang and his Council of Ministers during the ceremony at Paljor Stadium in Gangtok, Sikkim.
In the 2024 Sikkim assembly elections, Sikkim Krantikari Morcha won 31 out of 32 seats, with the opposition Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) securing only one seat. Tamang won the elections from the Rhenock Assembly seat by defeating SDF’s Som Nath Poudyal by over 7,396 votes.
The polling for the 32 assembly seats in Sikkim was held on April 19, 2024, simultaneously with the Lok Sabha elections. This landslide victory for SKM is the third such outcome in Sikkim’s history, following similar victories for Sikkim Sangaram Parishad (SSP) and SDF in 1989 and 2009, respectively.
ACQUISITIONS & MERGERS
9) Bank of India Acquires Over 6% Stake in CCIL IFSC
Maharashtra-based Bank of India (BOI) has acquired a 6.125% stake in Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL) International Financial Services Centre (IFSC), a newly incorporated entity listed in the Gujarat International Finance Tech-city (GIFT) Special Economic Zone (SEZ). This strategic investment, amounting to Rs 6.125 crore, underscores BOI’s commitment to the growth of the IFSC and its emergence as a global financial service provider.
Subrat Kumar, Executive Director of International Operations at BOI, announced this acquisition during an event celebrating the first anniversary of the bank’s IFSC Banking Unit (IBU) in GIFT City. The establishment of the IBU at GIFT City in 2023 was marked by an ambitious goal to achieve a business volume of USD 1 billion in its first year, with an equal focus on advances. The IBU surpassed this target as of March 2024.
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
10) SpaceX’s Starship Completes 1st Full Flight With Successful Soft Splashdown
Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX)’s Starship, the world’s most powerful launch vehicle ever developed, completed its first full test flight and returned to Earth with a successful soft splashdown of the booster in the Gulf of Mexico and the spacecraft in the Indian Ocean. Starship was launched on June 6, 2024, from Starbase in Texas, USA. This marks the fourth integrated test flight (IFT-4) of Starship.
The significance of this achievement lies in the fact that it represents a significant step towards developing a rapidly reusable transportation system for crew and cargo missions to various destinations, including Earth orbit, the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The previous three flight demos of Starship ended in explosions.
Starship consists of the Starship spacecraft and the Super Heavy rocket. The Starship is the fully reusable spacecraft and second stage of the system, with a height of 50 meters and a diameter of 9 meters. The Super Heavy is the first stage, or booster, of the Starship launch system, powered by 33 Raptor engines using sub-cooled liquid methane (CH4) and liquid oxygen (LOX). It has a height of 71 meters and a diameter of 9 meters.
The Starship soared above the Gulf of Mexico, reaching an altitude of nearly 211 kilometers (130 miles) at over 16,000 miles per hour (mph). This unmanned craft successfully transmitted data until its targeted splashdown site in the Indian Ocean.
About Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX):
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO) & Chairman: Elon Musk
- Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, USA
- Founded in 2002
11) Vidyut Rakshak: Indian Army Launches Integrated Generator Monitoring, Control System
The Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS) of the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, has launched ‘Vidyut Rakshak’, developed by Major Rajprasad R S of the Army Design Bureau (ADB). The launch event included the roll-out of the first production units of Vidyut Rakshak.
Vidyut Rakshak is an Internet of Things (IoT) enabled integrated generator monitoring, protection, and control system. It monitors generator parameters, enables fault prediction and prevention, and automates manual operation through a user-friendly interface, saving manpower.
The Indian Army is observing 2024 as the ‘Year of Tech Absorption’, where the Vidyut Rakshak from ‘innovation to induction’ signifies the Indian Army’s commitment and efforts to leverage technology as a catalyst for transformative change.
Background:
- During Aero India 2023, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Indian Army and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, for the ‘Production of Innovations’.
- Vidyut Rakshak was displayed during the ‘Exercise Bharat Shakti’, held in March 2024 and witnessed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.
IMPORTANT DAYS
12) First-Ever UN International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations – 10 June 2024
The first-ever United Nations (UN) International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations was observed on June 10, 2024, to raise awareness of the value of the diversity of civilizations and promote dialogue, mutual respect, tolerance, and global solidarity. This day represents a significant step towards promoting a deeper understanding among people and respecting cultural diversity.
The day aligns with China’s Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), which advocates respect for the diversity of civilizations, the common values of humanity, and the importance of inheritance and innovation of civilizations.
Background:
On June 7, 2024, the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolution A/78/L.75 by consensus, declaring June 10 of every year as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations. The resolution invited Member States and stakeholders to commemorate the day through educational and awareness-raising activities.
The draft resolution was proposed by China to establish the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations at the UNGA.
Few Voices and Perspectives:
The representative of China emphasized the importance of dialogue in preventing discrimination and prejudice, enhancing cooperation, and strengthening solidarity.
The representative of the United States of America (USA) stressed the importance of valuing cultural diversity and raised concerns about the ambiguous definition of “civilization” within international law.
Additional Info:
- The UNGA elected 18 Member States to the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) for three-year terms, beginning January 1, 2025.
- Seats for various regions, including Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and other States, are filled through voting rounds.
13) International Archives Day 2024 – June 9
International Archives Day (IAD) is annually observed across the globe on June 9 to raise awareness among the public about the significance of records and archives. The date also commemorates the founding of the International Council on Archives (ICA) in 1948, under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in Paris, France. June 9, 2024, marks the observance of the 76th anniversary of the ICA.
Background:
- During the 15th International Congress on Archives in Vienna, Austria in 2004, 2,000 participants from 116 countries adopted a resolution requesting the United Nations (UN) to designate a specific day to highlight the importance of archives.
- During the 2007 ICA Annual General Meeting, June 9 was designated as the International Archives Day (IAD) to mark the day in 1948 on which ICA was created.
- The first ever IAD was observed on June 9, 2008, coinciding with the 60th Anniversary of ICA.
What are Archives?
- Archives are the documentary by-products of human activity retained for their long-term value.
- They offer direct insights into past events through records created during individuals’ and organizations’ everyday lives and actions.
Note: According to the Universal Declaration on Archives, they are a unique and irreplaceable heritage passed from generation to generation.
International Archives Week (IAW):
- In 2019, the ICA expanded the IAD to extend over an entire week to promote the value and importance of archives and archivists.
- 2024 marked the 6th International Archives Week (IAW) and was observed from June 3-9, 2024, under the theme “#CyberArchives”.
- Over 400 ICA members and professionals selected the theme at the end of 2023.
Objective: Engage archival and records management professionals, organizations, and related sectors in a virtual discussion about the impact of technological advances on the archival field.
Note: Archives and archivists play an important role in accountability, transparency, democracy, heritage, memory, and society.
About International Council on Archives (ICA):
- President: Josée Kirps
- Headquarters: Paris, France
14) International Level Crossing Awareness Day 2024 – June 6
The International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD) is observed annually on June 6 to raise public awareness about the risks at level crossings and improve safety at railway crossings globally. This campaign is widely followed by the world’s railway community and is a key event for those involved in the sector. The 16th annual ILCAD was observed on June 6, 2024, with a focus on the safety of vulnerable people, using the slogan: “Beware of trains. Life can change in a split second.”
Around 50 countries participate in the annual ILCAD campaign, which is headed by the International Union of Railways (UIC – Union internationale des chemins de fer), the worldwide railway organization. The ILCAD originated from the success of the 1st European Level Crossing Awareness Day held on June 25, 2009, in 28 countries, with the goal of raising public awareness about the dangers associated with misbehavior at level crossings.
The 16th edition of ILCAD on June 6, 2024, was preceded by the 3rd edition of the International Trespass Awareness Day (TRESPAD) on June 5, 2024. TRESPAD is a UIC initiative aimed at preventing railway trespassing. Annually, a partner country organizes the launch conference to share best practices and projects to improve safety and reduce the number of incidents at level crossings.
In 2024, the TRESPAD conference and the ILCAD conference were jointly organized by the UIC and the Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte (JST), the Argentinian Transport Safety Board, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 5 and 6, 2024. The TRESPAD conference focused on trespassing and suicide prevention, while the ILCAD conference addressed safety at level crossings. Both campaigns targeted “vulnerable users.”
The ILCAD and TRESPAD campaigns were launched at two international conferences held in person (in Spanish and English), aiming to exchange ideas on level crossing safety, trespass, and suicide prevention. Distinguished speakers from various regions, including Latin America, Europe, Canada, India, and Australia, addressed crucial topics.
Key Facts:
- According to UIC estimates, there are over half a million level crossings worldwide, including the European Union (EU) with over 100,000 crossings and the United States (US) with over 200,000 crossings, accounting for 20% and 40% respectively.
- In the EU, the US, and almost everywhere, accidents and fatalities involving level crossings account for nearly a third of all rail accidents. Including pedestrian incidents, this figure exceeds 90% of all rail accidents.
About International Union of Railways (UIC):
- Director General: François Davenne
- Headquarters: Paris, France
- Established: 1922
STATE NEWS
15) Neerabh Kumar Prasad Appointed as Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh
Neerabh Kumar Prasad has been appointed as the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh (AP). He is a 1987-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the AP cadre. The Government Order (G.O.) was issued by S. Suresh Kumar, Principal Secretary of the Political Wing of the General Administration Department (GAD).
Neerabh Kumar replaces K.S. Jawahar Reddy, who is set to retire from service in June 2024 upon reaching the age of superannuation. Despite being due to retire himself in June 2024, Chief Minister (CM)-elect N. Chandrababu Naidu selected him for the post because he is known to be an efficient and honest officer.
Prior to this appointment, Neerabh Kumar served as the Special Chief Secretary for Environment, Forest, and Science and Technology. He has held this position since February 2022.
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