Current Affairs 10 July 2024
01. Who has been appointed the new head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team? (July 2024)
(a) Rahul Dravid
(b) Sourav Ganguly
(c) Anil Kumble
(d) Gautam Gambhir
Answer: D
- Gautam Gambhir has been appointed the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.
- He replaced the legendary Rahul Dravid in this role.
- Gambhir signed a three-year contract with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
- The Cricket Advisory Committee headed by Ashok Malhotra selected him to replace WV Raman.
- Gambhir will serve as the head coach until December 31, 2027.
- His tenure coincides with the year of the next ODI World Cup.
- BCCI secretary Jay Shah welcomed Gambhir on social media and expressed confidence in his ability to lead the team.
- Gambhir’s appointment reflects his vast experience and modern outlook on cricket.
02. Which company has been named the principal sponsor for Team India at the Paris Olympics 2024?
(a) Tata Group
(b) Reliance Industries
(c) Adani Group
(d) Infosys
Answer: C
- Sponsorship announcement: Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani announced that the Group will sponsor the Indian team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
- Support CommitmentThe Adani Group has promised full support to the Indian athletes, emphasising on their rigorous training and preparation ahead of the Olympics.
- Social Media Campaign: The campaign consists of an inspirational film featuring Indian athletes preparing for the Olympics and aiming to surpass the medal tally of the last Tokyo Olympics.
- Previous Support: Since 2016, the Adani Group has supported over 28 athletes across various sports such as boxing, wrestling, tennis, javelin throw, etc.
- Athlete success: Commonwealth Games gold medallists also among athletes supported by Adani Group Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Deepak Punia and boxer Amit Panghal.
- Ongoing Contributions: adani Group It aims to further develop India’s sports ecosystem, and prepare future champions for international competitions. Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics.
03. Who has been appointed as the Principal Advisor in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme?
(a) Dr. Harsh Vardhan
(b) Dr. Balram Bhargava
(c) Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
(d) Dr. Randeep Guleria
Answer: C
- Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed as the Principal Advisor in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme.
- She will provide technical advice on the overall strategy for achieving the programme objectives and suggest policy directions for optimal results.
- Dr. Swaminathan will also help form expert groups with top global talent and support the Ministry, state officials and development partners in assessing programme impact.
- She is the former chief scientist of the World Health Organisation and has also served as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
04. Name the mission in which one of the shortlisted Gaganyaan astronauts will travel to the International Space Station?
(a) Artemis
(b) Voyager
(c) Axiom-4
(d) Apollo-11
Answer: C
- The Axiom-4 mission will carry an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS).
- The mission is the result of a collaboration between NASA and a private American company. Axiomatic Space.
- The mission is expected to remain attached to the ISS for fourteen days.
- The launch is not scheduled before October 2024.
- The Axiom-4 mission is the fourth private astronaut mission organized by NASA and Axiom Space.
- The objective of this mission is to provide Indian astronauts with advanced training on ISS modules and protocols.
- The training and mission will enhance India’s capabilities in human space flight and international cooperation.
- The mission precedes India’s own human spaceflight under the Gaganyaan programme, which is not expected before 2025.
05. Who has been appointed as the Principal Advisor for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme of India?
(a) Soumya Swaminathan
(b) Harsh Vardhan
(c) Randeep Guleria
(d) N.K. Arora
Answer: A
- Dr. Soumya Swaminathan has been appointed as the Principal Advisor, Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the National TB Elimination Programme of India, who will serve on a pro bono basis.
- He has vast experience, having previously served as Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
- In his new role, Dr. Swaminathan Will provide technical advice on strategy, policy directions and research strategies aimed at achieving the goals of the TB elimination programme.
- His responsibilities include advising on improvements needed for optimal results and supporting the formation of expert groups comprising top global talent.
- Dr. Swaminathan will assist Union Ministry of Health, A meeting was held with state officials and development partners to assess the impact of the TB elimination programme.
- This appointment underlines India’s commitment to comprehensively tackle tuberculosis through strategic leadership and expert guidance.
- Dr. Swaminathan’s expertise and leadership is expected to boost the Indian economy.India’s efforts in tackling tuberculosis, a major public health challenge in the country, were praised.
06. What is the total amount allocated for health in Rajasthan State Budget 2024-25?
(a) Rs 25,000 crore
(b) Rs 27,660 crore
(c) Rs 28,560 crore
(d) Rs 30,000 crore
Answer: B
- Deputy Chief Minister and State Finance Minister Diya Kumari is presenting the Rajasthan Budget 2024-25.
- Health Budget: Rs 27,660 crore.
- Water supply projects: Rs 20,370 crore.
- Khatu Shyam Ji Temple Corridor: Rs 100 crore.
- 9 Greenfield Expressways with a length of over 2,750 km
- Amrith Global Technology & Application Centre: ₹200 Crore.
- AMRUT 2.0 scheme: Rs 5,180 crore
- Sports Policy: Insurance of Rs 25 Lakhs.
07. What bilateral trade target do India and Russia aim to achieve by 2030?
(a) $50 billion
(b) $100 billion
(c) $150 billion
(d) $200 billion
Answer: B
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin have set an ambitious target of taking bilateral trade between India and Russia to $100 billion by 2030.
- There has been a huge increase in bilateral trade between the two countries $65.7 billion in FY 2023-24The main reason for this is the increase in India’s crude oil imports from Russia amid Western sanctions.
- The focus of the trade discussions was on ensuring predictable and assured supplies of Russian crude oil, fertilizers and nuclear fuel for India’s Koodankulam power plant.
- Modi emphasised that cooperation with Russia in energy supplies has played an important role in stabilising global markets amid the global fuel crisis.
- Russia has become an important supplier of energy resources to India, providing more than 80 million metric tons of crude oil annually.
- It was also revealed in the discussion Role of Russia as a major supplier of fertilizers to IndiaIt is important for agricultural seasons like Kharif and Rabi.
- The two leaders discussed measures to balance the current trade imbalance. RussiaThis includes widening India’s trading area and demanding greater market access for Indian agricultural and industrial goods.
08. Which satellite monitored by NASA since 2018 detected unusual X- and C-shaped ionospheric structures, potentially affecting GPS and radio communications?
(a) Hubble Space Telescope
(b) Spitzer Space Telescope
(c) James Webb Space Telescope
(d) Gold Satellite
Answer: D
- NASA’s GOLD satellite has made a surprising discovery in Earth’s ionosphere, a crucial layer for radio transmissions created by solar radiation ionizing molecules.
- Recent observations revealed Unexpected X- and C-shaped structures In the ionosphere, usually associated with geomagnetic disturbances, but also appearing during quiet periods.
- Gold Mission, Launched in October 2018, the satellite orbits over the western hemisphere to measure temperature and ionospheric density.
- Thick X-shaped particle peaks were observed after sunset, possibly GPS and radio signals may be interfered with.
- Researchers include: Fazlul Laskar, University of Coloradoobserved these structures during geomagnetic quiet periods, suggesting that lower atmospheric dynamics affect the ionosphere.
- Strange shaped bubbles were also seenpossibly tilted due to a change in wind direction, much closer to each other than normal atmospheric behaviour.
- Current NASA missions, such as APEP, continue to investigate ionospheric variations during events such as solar eclipses, challenging current assumptions and emphasizing the need for further study.
09. Who will lead the Indian Parliamentary delegation to the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum in St. Petersburg, Russia?
(a) Om Birla
(B) Harivansh
(c) Shambhu Sharan Patel
(d) Utpal Kumar Singh
Answer: A
- Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will lead the Indian Parliamentary delegation to the 10th BRICS Parliamentary Forum to be held in St. Petersburg, Russia on July 11-12, 2024.
- The delegation includes Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh and other members who hold key positions in the Indian Parliament such as Shambhu Sharan Patel, Utpal Kumar Singh and PC Modi.
- Anjani Kumar, Lok Sabha Secretariat He will serve as Secretary of the delegation and oversee logistics and administrative aspects.
- The theme of the Forum is ‘Role of Parliaments in Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security’.
- The participants include BRICS countries and invited countries such as India, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bangladesh, Bhutan … Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
- TeaTulia Åkesson, President of the Inter-Parliamentary UnionWill also participate, which will emphasize broader international parliamentary cooperation.
- Discussions during the plenary session will cover topics such as inter-parliamentary cooperation, the multilateral trading system, global crises, and humanitarian and cultural sectors.
- Om Birla is expected to hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from other participating parliaments and interact with the Indian community in Moscow during his visit to Russia.
10. Which IIT will offer BTech programmes in both Hindi and English for its new batch of students?
(a) IIT Bombay
(b) IIT Delhi
(c) IIT Jodhpur
(d) IIT Kanpur
Answer: C
- IIT Jodhpur has introduced BTech course in Hindi from the upcoming academic session, aimed at helping students facing challenges in English proficiency.
- Inclusive Education Approach: This initiative is aligned with the following: National Education Policy(NEP) 2020,Focusing on making higher education more accessible by providing education in native languages.
- Bilingual Instruction: First year BTech students will have the option to choose from Hindi and English SectionThe institute will divide the students accordingly to facilitate effective learning based on language preference.
- Approval and Implementation: The Ministry of Education has approved the move, which will allow aspiring engineers to earn their degrees IIT Jodhpur in Hindii, alongside the traditional English medium courses.
- admission criteria: Admission to the B.Tech programme will continue to be based on the following: Joint Entrance Examination Advanced (JEE Advanced 2024) Based on the result, students can select their preferred language during the application process.
- Consistent Teaching Quality: Despite the language divide, both Hindi and English classes will be taught by the same instructors to ensure uniformity in teaching standards and quality.
- Broad NEP Alignment: This move by IIT Jodhpur is part of a larger national trend where various states are expanding educational access by offering technical and medical education in regional languages.
