In Current Affairs for 18 June 2024, we will see the latest national and international current affairs news. These important current affairs will be beneficial for your upcoming NDA, CDS, CDS OTA, AFCAT, TA, Agniveer Army, Agniveer Navy, Agniveer Air Force, Women Military Police, INET, MNS, ACC exams, SCO, PCSL, CAPF, and SSB interviews, and direct entries for Army, Navy, and Air Force like SSC Tech, TGC, JAG, NCC, TES, 10+2 Cadet. Download a PDF file about current events at the end of this article. Let us now see the Current Affairs.
Current Affairs 18 June 2023
AI Tool ‘Divya Drishti’
- The start-up was established by woman entrepreneur Shivani Verma after winning the prestigious ‘Dare to Dream 2.0’, a pan India theme-based contest organised by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
- Woman-led start-up has successfully developed an AI-based tool that creates a “robust and multi-faceted authentication system” by combining facial recognition with gait analysis.
- This innovative solution marks a “significant advancement” in biometric authentication technology, offering “enhanced accuracy and reliability”. ‘Divya Drishti’ creates a robust and multi-faceted authentication system by combining facial recognition with gait analysis.
- This dual approach enhances the accuracy of identification, minimising the risk of false positives or identity fraud, and has versatile applications across diverse sectors including defence, law enforcement, corporate and public infrastructure.
- The tool has been developed under the technical guidance and mentoring of the Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), a laboratory of the DRDO based in Bengaluru.
‘Mission Nishchay’
- Punjab Police in association with the Border Security Force (BSF) and Village Defence Committees (VDCs) will carry out a one-week drive against drugs in Fazilka district.
- They will reach out to residents of as many as 42 villages along the India-Pakistan border to gather actionable intelligence about the demand and supply of drugs.
- During the drive, named as ‘Mission Nishchay’, police officers will fan out in villages in Fazilka district from June 15 to 21 and interact with residents. The idea is to instil a sense of community participation among inhabitants of border villages as we make efforts to curb the menace of drugs.
- The focus on youth and women to gather actionable intelligence about the demand and supply of drugs. Of the 553-km-long Punjab border with Pakistan, 108 km is in Fazilka district.
Limca Book Of Records
- Indian Railways has entered its name into Limca Book of Records for most people at a public service event at multiple venues. Ministry of Railways had organized an event on 26 February this year which was attended by over 40 lakh 19 thousand people at over two thousand venues.
- The event was organized for the inauguration of road over railway bridges and for laying the foundation stones of railway stations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Critical And Emerging Technologies
- The second annual meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) between India and the US in New Delhi.
- During the two-day meeting, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan will review the entire spectrum of Indo-US strategic ties.
- Sources said the main focus of the iCET meeting will be a comprehensive review of all projects discussed during the Washington meeting on January 31, 2023. This includes a transfer of technology related to GE-414 jet engines for Tejas Mark II fighters.
- Mr Doval and Mr Sullivan are also likely to discuss a new bilateral Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
- This roadmap aims to accelerate the joint development and production of jet engines, loitering ammunition, and other critical systems. India and the US are also likely to explore joint ventures to build a resilient semiconductor supply chain within India.
- The discussion is also likely to cover space cooperation, quantum computing, and next-generation telecommunications. Mr Sullivan, along with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, and other top officials, is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also.
2024 Kavli Prize
- The winners of the 2024 Kavli Prize were announced on June 12. Eight winners were awarded for their contributions to astrophysics, neuroscience, and nanoscience.
- Fred Kavli was born in Erejsford, Norway. Kavli moved to California in 1956 after getting an engineering degree. In 1958, he started his own enterprise, founding Kavlico.
- In 2000, Kavli sold his company for $ 340 million, and established the Kavli Foundation, with the aim to support wide-ranging basic research to improve the quality of life for people worldwide.
- The inaugural prize was announced in 2008, and awarded to seven scientists. All eight scientists awarded the Kavli Prize this year are professors at leading American universities.
- This year’s prize for astrophysics has been awarded to David Charbonneau of Harvard University, and Sara Seager, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
- The duo have been recognised for discoveries of exoplanets, and the characterisation of their atmosphere.
- Robert Langer of MIT, Armand Paul Alivisatos of the University of Chicago, and Chad Mirkin of Northwestern University were given the prize for nanoscience.
- Langer was recognised for his breakthrough idea of nano-engineering a material for the controlled release of therapeutic bio-molecules, which could help the development of controlled drug delivery systems to treat diseases like aggressive brain cancer, prostate cancer and schizophrenia.
- The prize in neuroscience has been awarded to Nancy Kanwisher of MIT, Winrich Freiwald of Rockefeller University, and Doris Tsao of the University of California at Berkeley. The trio have been awarded for their collective effort over decades to map the linkage between facial recognition and the brain.
Siddhesh Sakore
- Siddhesh Sakore, a farmer and the founder of AGRO RANGERS from Maharashtra, has been recognized as a Land Hero by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on World Desertification and Drought Day.
- The announcement was made during a programme in Bonn, Germany, honoring 10 Land Heroes from around the globe.
- UNCCD praised Sakore’s dedication to addressing the economic and environmental challenges faced by farmers in Maharashtra. Sakore highlighted the impact of economic crises, toxic chemical usage, and climate change on sustainable farming, stressing the importance of eco-friendly and cost-effective technologies.
Malabar River Festival 2024
- Kerala’s Kozhikode is all set to host the Malabar River Festival 2024, featuring the International White Water Kayaking Championship This exciting event aims to promote white-water kayaking in the region and will be held in Thusaharagiri, Chalipuzha, and Iruvazhinjipuzha.
- The high-octane events and pre-events will host over 100 national-level kayakers from India and kayaking professionals from over 20 countries.
- The Malabar River Festival 2024 is organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, the District Tourism Promotion Council, and the Kozhikode District Panchayat.
- The Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association is also providing technical support for this major event. The event is known the best for its white-water kayaking, it has various events including ‘The Extreme Race,’ ‘Boater Cross’ and ‘Giant Slalom,’ alongside other programmes like water rallies, swimming championships, water polo, fish bait contests and more as part of it.
- It is organised by the Adventure Tourism Promotion Society aka ATPS, the District Tourism Promotion Council and the Kozhikode District Panchayat. In 2023, Amith Thapa from India and Ava Christensen from the USA won the Rapid Raja and Rapid Rani titles, respectively.
Environmental Performance Index
- According to the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), India was ranked 176th out of 180 nations. Compared to 2022, when it was at the bottom of the index, this shows a small gain.
- Different external factors are used by Yale and Columbia universities to make the EPI. Historically, India’s rank has gone up and down, but since 2014, it has gone down a lot. India’s rank changed from 122 to 127 between 2000 and 2012.
- In contrast, a steady drop was seen starting in 2014. The country was ranked 177th in 2018, 168th in 2020, 180th in 2022, and 176th in 2024.
- The drop is because other countries are doing better and India isn’t doing enough to fix its pollution problems.
- Even though it is ranked low, things have gotten better. India got better grades on things like pollution from solid fuels used in homes, cleanliness, the quality of drinking water, acid rain precursors, and climate change. Even so, India is still having trouble with “air quality,” “ecosystem vitality,” “biodiversity and habitat,” and “species protection index.”
- Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, and Vietnam were the only countries that did worse than India on the 2024 EPI.
- Estonia was at the top of the score because it had made the most progress in protecting the environment, especially by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions.
- On the other hand, major countries like the USA, China, and Russia have either not cut their emissions at all or have seen them rise.
- The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a biennial ranking developed by Yale and Columbia Universities to assess countries’ environmental performance in achieving policy goals. Launched in 2006, it incorporates 32 performance indicators across 11 issue categories related to environmental health and ecosystem vitality.
Current Affairs 18 June 2024 Question
- ‘Mission Nishchay’ Seen In News Is Launched By
A. Manipur
B. Punjab
C. Haryana
D. Kerala
ANSWER: B - __ Has Entered Its Name Into Limca Book Of Records
A. DRDO
B. CSIR
C. Indian Railways
D. IOCL
ANSWER: C - Which Country Passed A Motion Supporting Tibetan Self-determination
A. India
B. Canada
C. Australia
D. United Kingdom
ANSWER: B - Joshimath Region Is Located In Which State
A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Uttarakhand
C. Meghalaya
D. Arunachal Pradesh
ANSWER: B - Name Of Mobile App Launched By NCRB To Provide Information About New
Criminal Laws
A. NCRB Samarth
B. NCRB Sahayak
C. NCRB Sangrah
D. NCRB Sankalan of Criminal Laws
ANSWER: D - Which Aerospace Company Signed Agreement With Uae’s Edge Group To
Collaborate On Drones, Missiles, And Cyber Technologies
A. Adani Defence
B. Tata Advanced Systems Limited
C. Aeronautical Development Agency
D. Mahindra Aerospace
ANSWER: A - What Is ‘Nagastra-1’
A. Earth observation satellite
B. Man-portable suicide drones
C. Nuclear ballistic submarine
D. Exoplanet
ANSWER: B - Which State Government Launched “Mannuyir Kaathu Mannuyir Kaappom”
Scheme To Improve Soil Health
A. Andhra Pradesh
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Karnataka
D. Kerala
ANSWER: B - WHO Designated Which Medical Institute As A WHO Collaborating Centre For
“Fundamental And Literary Research In Traditional Medicine”
A. National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad
B. National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur
C. AIIMS, Delhi
D. KGMU, Lucknow
ANSWER: A - Cyril Ramaphosa Has Been Re-elected As President Of Which Country
A. Kenya
B. Rwanda
C. South Africa
D. Nigeria
ANSWER: C - Which Organization & Sansad TV Signed An Agreement To Make Indian Art
And Culture More Accessible To The People
A. Lalit Kala Academy
B. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH)
C. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
D. Sangeet Natak Academy
ANSWER: C - Which Country Hosted The 50th G7 Leaders Summit
A. Italy
B. France
C. U.K.
D. Canada
ANSWER: A - Who Became First Indian To Win A Three Star Grand Prix Event In Equestrian
A. Roshni Sharma
B. Shruti Vora
C. Alisha Abdullah
D. Kalyani Potekar
ANSWER: B - Sundhnukagigar Volcano Is Located In Which Country
A. Indonesia
B. Iceland
C. Chile
D. Tonga
ANSWER: B - Hydroxyurea Drug Is Related To Which Disease
A. Dengue
B. TB
C. Malaria
D. Sickle cell anaemia
ANSWER: D - What Is ‘T Coronae Borealis’
A. Star
B. Submarine
C. Invasive plant
D. Protein
ANSWER: A - Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project Is Located In Which State
A. Sikkim
B. Assam
C. Manipur
D. Mizoram
ANSWER: B - Where Was ‘Third Glasgow Dialogue On Loss And Damage’ Held
A. Bonn, Germany
B. London, UK
C. Paris, France
D. New Delhi, India
ANSWER: A - Large Action Models Are Related To Which Field
A. Disaster management
B. Artificial Intelligence (AI)
C. Environmental activities
D. Heat wave
ANSWER: B - Which One Of Following Places Was A Mint Centre Of Yaudheyas
A. Bayana
B. Rohtak
C. Bareilly
D. Mathura
ANSWER: B
