Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 5 2024

Ans (A)

President Droupadi Murmu presided over the 52nd Conference of Governors at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on 2 August 2024.

This was the first time that President Murmu was presiding over the Conference of Governors.

In 1949, the first Conference of Governors was held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, which was then known as the Government House.

The then Governor General of India, C. Rajagopalachari, presided over the conference.

In India, the President of India has the power to appoint and dismiss the State Governors, the Lieutenant Governors and Administrators of the Union Territories.

Ans (A)

The Central Electricity Authority has recently approved two Hydro-Pumped Storage plants in the country. One will be built in Karnataka and another in Odisha.

Under the provisions of the Electricity Act 2003, any company intending to set up a hydro-generating station requires the concurrence of the Central Electricity Authority.

The 2000 MW Sharavathy Hydro-Pumped Storage plant is being developed on the river Sharavathy in the Shimoga district of  Karnataka.

The Rs 8000 crore 2000 MW Sharavathy project is the country’s largest pump storage power generation unit.

The 600 MW Upper Indravati Pumped Storage Plant will be built in the Kalahandi district of Odisha. It will be built on the Indravati River.

Ans (C)

The government of India has announced two loans totalling  $300 million to Vietnam during the visit of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, Pham Minh Chinh.

The loan is for strengthening Vietnam’s maritime security.

Nine agreements were signed between India and Vietnam during the visit of the Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

During the visit, it was announced that Vietnam will join the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).

This is the first visit of a Vietnamese leader to India after India and Vietnam established their comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2016.

India became the third country in 2016 after China (2008) and Russia (2012), with which Vietnam has signed a comprehensive strategic partnership.

India has a close relationship with Vietnam and shares strong defence ties.

Ans (B)

The 4th edition of the Rashtriya Hindi Vigyan Sammelan 2024 was held in the Madhya Pradesh capital, Bhopal.

The Rashtriya Hindi Vigyan Sammelan’s main purpose is to provide a platform for researchers to present and discuss their work in Hindi, enrich science and technology-based research in Hindi and popularise science and technology through Hindi medium.

The conference featured six sessions on diverse topics of Science, Technology, Ayurveda, Engineering, and Science Communication.

The 4th Rashtriya Hindi Vigyan Sammelan 2024 was organised by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute (CSIR-AMPRI), Bhopal.

Ans (B)

The Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, has signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) of the United Nations to provide $85 million to the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, over a 10-year period (2022-2032).

The interim  WHO GCTM is already functional in Jamnagar, and the money will be used to expand the centre and fund its research and development activities.

WHO, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ayush, has set up WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat. It is the only global centre for traditional medicine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the GCTM on 19 April 2022 in Jamnagar in the presence of WHO Director Tedross Ghebreyesus and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth.

Ans (C)

Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the three-day ‘State Museum Conclave’ from August 1st to 3rd, 2024.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Culture at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.

The conclave aims to foster collaboration between State Museums and the Central Government.

The event supports the realization of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum.

The museum aims to exemplify global best practices.

States are invited to provide insights into their collections for the Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum.

The Yuga Yugeen Bharat Museum will be located at North and South Block as part of the Central Vista Redevelopment project.

The museum will cover an area of 1,54,000 sqm, making it the largest museum in the world.

The video walk-through of the museum was first unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the International Museum Expo on May 18, 2023.

The museum will be developed through Adaptive Reuse in collaboration with France, leveraging their expertise in projects like the Louvre.

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Ans (D)

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists (ICAE) in New Delhi.

The conference is being held at the National Agricultural Science Centre (NASC) Complex from August 2 to 7, 2024.

The theme of the conference is “Transformation Towards Sustainable Agri-Food Systems.”

The conference addresses global challenges like climate change, resource degradation, rising costs, and conflicts.

The ICAE conference is taking place in India after 65 years.

Around 1,000 delegates from 75 countries are participating in the conference.

The Prime Minister welcomed the dignitaries on behalf of India’s farmers, women farmers, fishermen, and animal keepers.

The conference aims to highlight India’s proactive approach to agricultural challenges and showcase research and policy advancements.

The event provides a platform for young researchers and professionals to present their work and network with global peers.

The conference aims to strengthen partnerships, influence policy, and showcase India’s advancements in digital agriculture and sustainable systems.

Ans (D)

In 2023, India’s agriculture exports dropped to $51 billion from $55 billion in 2022.

Despite this drop, India remained the eighth largest exporter of agriculture products worldwide.

Seven of the top ten agriculture exporting nations also saw a decline in their exports.

India’s export decline was due to geopolitical issues like the Red Sea crisis and the Russia-Ukraine war.

The drop mainly affected regulated products like rice, wheat, sugar, and onions.

India banned the export of wheat in May 2022, non-basmati rice in July 2023, and sugar from October 2023.

The European Union remained the top exporter in 2023, with agriculture exports valued at $836 billion, up from $799 billion in 2022.

The US stayed in the second position despite its agriculture exports falling to $198 billion from $222 billion in 2022.

Brazil’s agriculture exports grew to $157 billion in 2023, up from $148 billion in 2022, keeping it in third place.

China was the fourth largest agriculture exporter in 2023, with exports worth $95 billion, slightly down from $96 billion in 2022.

Ans (B)

CM Pramod Sawant launched ‘Goem Vinamulya Vij Yevjan’ to boost solar rooftop adoption in Goa, aligned with PM’s Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana.

The scheme, with an initial investment of Rs 35 crore, supports installations up to 5kW for consumers using 400 or fewer units annually.

Aimed at reducing reliance on traditional power, it promotes zero electricity bills and a greener future.

Ans (C)

Bob Rae elected as President of UN’s ECOSOC

Bob Rae, Canada’s Ambassador to the UN, elected as ECOSOC president for a 1-year term, enhancing Canada’s bilateral engagements.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for coordinating the economic and social fields.

Paula Narváez, Representative of Chile, will retire prior to Bob Rae’s appointment to the post.