In Current Affairs for 29 May 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 29 May 2024
Smartphones Become India’s 4th Largest Export Item
- Smartphones have become a major export success story for India, now ranking as the fourth-largest export item with a 42% growth, reaching $15.6 billion in FY24.
- This marks an improvement by one notch in the ranking from the preceding year. Data collection for smartphones as a separate category began in April 2022, highlighting the sector’s rapid growth.
- The significant rise in smartphone exports is attributed to a 158% increase in shipments to the US, amounting to $5.6 billion.
- Other major markets include the United Arab Emirates ($2.6 billion), the Netherlands ($1.2 billion), and the UK ($1.1 billion). The total value of mobile devices produced in India for both export and domestic markets in FY24 surged to Rs 4.1 trillion ($49.16 billion), representing a 17% year-on-year increase. The government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has been instrumental in this growth, positioning India as the second-largest mobile phone manufacturing country after China.
- The PLI scheme aims to attract companies manufacturing in China to shift to India, leveraging geopolitical tensions between China and the US. Notable beneficiaries include Apple’s vendors—Foxconn, Wistron India (now Tata Electronics), and Pegatron—along with Samsung.
- Apple has significantly contributed to the export surge, with outbound shipments of mobile devices expected to exceed Rs 1.2 trillion ($14.39 billion) in FY24, a 33% increase from Rs 90,000 crore in FY23. Preliminary ICEA data indicates that exports in FY24 accounted for nearly 30% of the total output value, up from 25% in FY23.
- The robust growth in smartphone exports underscores the effectiveness of India’s PLI scheme and highlights the country’s strategic shift in the global electronics manufacturing landscape. This growth trajectory is expected to continue, further solidifying India’s position as a key player in the global smartphone market.
Dissolution Of Food And Nutrition Board
- Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), a technical branch of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) responsible for providing logistical support to community nutrition programs, has been officially dissolved as part of the government’s plan to rationalize various bodies.
- WCD Ministry announced the dissolution of the FNB, which operated a wide network of offices, including four regional offices and several quality control laboratories across major cities like Faridabad, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai.
- The decision to discontinue the FNB was taken after the Cabinet meeting on April 6, 2022, following recommendations from the Principal Economic Advisor’s report on the rationalization of government bodies in November 2020.
- Three Community Food and Nutrition Extension Units (CFNEUs) in Mumbai, Jaipur, and Bhubaneswar have been transferred to the Directorate of Estates under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- The process of transferring four immovable properties in Faridabad, Chennai, Navi Mumbai, and Kolkata is underway.
- The Central Food Testing Laboratory in Faridabad and the Regional Food Testing Laboratory in Chennai, both owned by FNB, are being handed over to the FCI or the Department of Food and Public Distribution (DFPD).
- The leased Regional Food Testing Laboratories in Navi Mumbai and West Bengal will be leased to FCI and DFPD after obtaining necessary approvals from the respective state governments. The FNB’s activities were officially wound down as per a gazette notification dated June 16, 2021, and its formal dissolution was approved on November 30, 2022.
- Consequently, the FNB ceased operations from December 1, 2022. This restructuring aims to streamline operations and optimize resources allocated to community nutrition programs while aligning with the government’s rationalization efforts.
South African Regulator Fines SBI
- The Prudential Authority of the South African Reserve Bank has imposed a financial penalty of 10 million rand (₹4.5 crore) on the State Bank of India’s South Africa branch for non-compliance with certain provisions of the country’s Financial Intelligence Centre Act 38 of 2001 (FIC Act).
- The penalty comprises an immediately payable portion of 5.50 million rand, already paid, and a suspended amount of 4.50 million rand, contingent on compliance within 36 months.
- Bank of Baroda is currently under investigation by the South African Reserve Bank for alleged compliance lapses at its branch in South Africa. The bank is actively cooperating with the investigations.
- Bank of Baroda has made all necessary disclosures under Regulation 30 of the Sebi (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. It has also improved its compliance processes and implemented remediation measures to enhance KYC/AML procedures to meet regulatory expectations. Some matters related to the investigations are sub-judice, including Bank of Baroda’s appeal against a fine equivalent to Rs 50 million.
- The bank assures that it will keep the stock exchanges informed of any significant developments arising from these investigations.
India’s First Green Hydrogen Plant
- GAIL (India) Ltd., the nation’s leading natural gas transmission and distribution company, has achieved a significant milestone with the commissioning of its first green hydrogen plant. Located in Vijaipur, Madhya Pradesh, this plant marks GAIL’s foray into the realm of new and alternative energy sources.
- The inauguration ceremony was graced by the presence of Pankaj Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, signifying the government’s support and recognition of this pioneering initiative.
- This innovative Green Hydrogen plant boasts an impressive capacity to produce 4.3 Tons Per Day (TPD) of hydrogen. It achieves this through the use of 10 Megawatt (MW) PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) Electrolyzer units, which utilize the process of electrolysis of water powered by renewable energy sources.
- Initially, the hydrogen generated by this facility will serve as a fuel alongside natural gas for internal consumption within various processes and equipment at the existing Vijaipur plant.
- To meet the green power needs of the 10 MW PEM Electrolyzer, GAIL is actively installing approximately 20 MW of solar power plants at Vijaipur. This includes both ground-mounted and floating solar units. Additionally, GAIL is tapping into renewable power through open access, further enhancing its commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
NASA Launches Satellite PREFIRE
- The urgent global problem of climate change continues to call for new scientific discoveries and technological advances.
- NASA’s PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment) mission began on May 25. This was a big step toward better climate prediction and knowledge.
- Launch Complex 1 in Māhia, New Zealand, was used to send two small CubeSats into space on Rocket Lab’s Electron rocket. The job of these satellites is to measure how much heat the Earth’s polar parts give off. The North and South Poles are important parts of the world climate system but aren’t seen as much because they are so cold.
- The infrared technology on the PREFIRE satellites will directly measure how much heat is leaking into space from above the Arctic and Antarctic. The present climate models are based mostly on theoretical predictions rather than direct observations, so this data is very important.
- The information gathered by the PREFIRE mission should help improve models already in use to better understand how polar ice melts, sea ice loss, and the Earth’s general energy balance. We need this kind of information to figure out how the poles affect weather trends around the world and to predict how the sea level will rise.
- Many areas, like farmland, fisheries, and coastal management, will benefit from this better modeling ability, which will help them react to changing environmental conditions.
- The NASA PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far Infrared Experiment) mission is scheduled for launch in 2023. PREFIRE will deploy two CubeSats into orbit to study Earth’s energy budget in the far-infrared spectrum. This mission aims to measure polar far-infrared radiation, crucial for understanding climate processes.
- PREFIRE targets the largely unexplored wavelengths between 15 and 100 microns. These wavelengths are significant for their role in polar regions’ cloud and surface energy processes. The mission’s data will provide insights into polar far-infrared radiation, which has been under-studied until now.
- Data from PREFIRE will help improve climate models, particularly predictions about ice cloud formation. Understanding far-infrared radiation is essential for accurate climate modeling and forecasting. The mission’s findings will contribute to better predictions of climate behavior in polar regions and globally.
Lithium Ion Batteries Using Iron
- A New Type Of Iron-based Cathode Material Has Been Made Thanks To Recent Study Led By Oregon State University. This Discovery Could Lead To The Creation Of Batteries That Are Safer, Cheaper, And Last Longer, Especially For Electric Cars (Evs).
- Traditional Lithium-ion Batteries Depend A Lot On Cobalt And Nickel, Which Are Both Expensive And Hard To Find. Because Batteries Need Expensive And Hard-to-find Metals, The Cost Of Making Them Is Very High. In Fact, This Is Responsible For Up To Half Of The Costs Of Making Lithium-ion Cells. Too Much Use Of These Resources Makes People Worry About A Future Lack, Which Could Make It Hard To Make Batteries That Need These Metals. A Group Of Researchers At Oregon State University, Have Made A Cathode Material Out Of Iron, Which Is Easy To Find And Cheap (Less Than A Dollar Per Kilogram).
- Researchers Made Iron Salts That Can Store And Release Energy By Mixing Certain Chemicals With Iron Powder, Lithium Fluoride, And Lithium Phosphate. This Change Makes Iron More Reactive, Which Makes The Cathode’s Energy Density Higher Than That Of The Most Advanced Materials Used In Evs Right Now.
- It’s Possible That This New Iron-based Cathode Material Is Not As Cost-effective As Cathodes Made Of Nickel And Cobalt. The Fact That Iron Is Easy To Get Means That It Can Be Used In A More Environmentally Friendly Way, Since It Doesn’t Run Out As Quickly As Cobalt And Nickel Do.
- It’s Also Not Necessary To Change Other Parts Of Batteries, Like Anodes Or Production Technology, In Order To Add This New Material To Current Battery Systems. With The Launch Of This Iron-based Cathode Material, It Might Become A Lot Cheaper To Make Electric Cars.
- This New Development Could Speed Up The Use Of Electric Cars, Which Would Help Cut Down On Carbon Emissions And Encourage The Use Of Renewable Energy Sources. Using This Kind Of Technology Is A Big Step Forward In The Search For New Battery Ideas That Balance Cost, Performance, And Effect On The Environment.
Current Affairs 29 May 2024 Question
- Smartphones Become India’s __ Largest Export Item
A. 1st
B. 2nd
C. 3rd
D. 4th
ANSWER: D - Which Country Signed An Agreement With India On Visa Exemption For
Diplomatic And Official Passports
A. Italy
B. Greece
C. Bulgaria
D. Moldova
ANSWER: D - Which Institution Secured Top Position Among Indian Higher Education
Institutions In A Recent Ranking
A. IIT Bombay
B. IIM Ahmedabad
C. IIT Madras
D. IISc Bengaluru
ANSWER: B - Which Country Sanctioned Boeing And Two Other US Defence Companies For
Selling Arms To Taiwan
A. Japan
B. Russia
C. India
D. China
ANSWER: D - Which Platform Has Facilitated Over 50 Lakh Invoices Worth ₹1,00,000 Crore
In MSME Invoice Financing
A. QuickBooks
B. ClearTax
C. TReDS
D. Paytm
ANSWER: C - Which University Researched The Effectiveness Of The HPV Vaccine In
Reducing Cervical Cancer Cases
A. Queen Mary University
B. Oxford University
C. Harvard University
D. Stanford University
ANSWER: A - Who Is Set For Appointment As Taiwan’s President
A. Lee Hsien Loong
B. Xi Jinping
C. Moon Jae-in
D. Lai Ching-te
ANSWER: D - Where Was The World’s First High-speed 6G Device Launched
A. South Korea
B. United States
C. China
D. Japan
ANSWER: D - In Which Country Did Elon Musk Launch The Starlink Service
A. Malaysia
B. Philippines
C. Thailand
D. Indonesia
ANSWER: D - In Which Indian State Did The Federation Cup 2024 Athletics Meet Take Place
A. Karnataka
B. Odisha
C. Maharashtra
D. Tamil Nadu
ANSWER: B - In Which Event Did Deepthi Jeevanji Win Gold Medal At World Para Athletics Championships 2024
A. 100m
B. 200m
C. 400m
D. 800m
ANSWER: C - Who Received The First Stamp Commemorating 200 Years Of Indian Origin
Tamils In Sri Lanka
A. Senthil Thondaman
B. Raja Guru
C. Krishnan
D. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
ANSWER: D - Who Has Been Elected As President Of Confederation Of Indian Industry (CII)
For The Term 2024-25
A. Rajiv Memani
B. R Mukundan
C. R Dinesh
D. Sanjiv Puri
ANSWER: D - Where Was Significant Bleaching Event Among Sea Anemones Documented
A. Kochi, Kerala
B. Kavaratti Island
C. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
D. Agatti Island
ANSWER: D - In The 2024 WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index, What Position Did
India Achieve
A. 18th
B. 26th
C. 39th
D. 54th
ANSWER: C - Where Was Artara’24 Fine Arts Exhibition And Competition Held
A. London
B. New Delhi
C. Dubai
D. Singapore
ANSWER: C - Where Is AstraZeneca Building A Pioneering $1.5 Billion Manufacturing Plant
To Produce Advanced Cancer-fighting Drugs
A. Switzerland
B. Singapore
C. United States
D. United Kingdom
ANSWER: B - In Which Year Did Supreme Court Make A Ruling Regarding Medical
Professionals’ Liability Under Consumer Protection Act
A. 1986
B. 1995
C. 2019
D. 2022
ANSWER: B - Who Won The Gold Medal In The Women’s F51 Club Throw Event At The
World Para Athletic Championships
A. Bhavina Patel
B. Aruna Tanwar
C. Ekta Bhayan
D. Prachi Yadav
ANSWER: C - The Term “Doubtful Voter” Or “D-voter” Has Been Primarily Used In Which
State
A. Assam
B. Manipur
C. Mizoram
D. Nagaland
ANSWER: A
