Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 2 2024

Solution: Option A.)

Ans (A)
Former Prime Minister of Portugal Antonio Costa has been elected as the new President of the European Council of the European Union.
Antonio Costa will replace Charles Michel of Belgium and take charge on 1 October 2024.
The European Council also selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The President of the European Council is elected for a term of 2.5 years and can be re-elected once.
Thus, a person can hold the office of the President of the European Council for a maximum of five years.
The European Council is the top body of the 27-member European Union. It sets the political agenda of the European Union and meets twice a year.

Solution: Option A.)

Ans (A)
India has been put in the “regular follow-up category” by the global anti-money laundering body, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).
This decision was taken at the plenary meeting of the FATF held in Singapore.
The meeting discussed issues relating to money laundering, terrorism financing, and proliferation financing.
During the Singapore meeting, the FATF reviewed India’s performance in implementing the provisions regarding anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism financing, and anti-proliferation financing.
India, along with Russia, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, was kept in the ‘regular follow-up’ category.
One country was put on the grey list, and the remaining countries were kept in the’ enhanced follow-up’ category.

Solution: Option D.)

Ans (D)
The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the appointment of Vikram Misri as the new foreign secretary of India. He will succeed Vinay Mohan Kwatra and take charge on 15 July 2024.
Vikram Misri is considered a China expert and was the ambassador to China from January 2019 to December 2021 (during the Galwan Valley clashes).
As the foreign secretary, he will head the bureaucracy of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Vikram Misri will be the 35th foreign secretary of India. K.P.S Menon was India’s first foreign secretary, appointed in 1948 after the creation of the present Ministry of External Affairs by the government of India after Independence.
He is currently the Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat.

Solution: Option C.)

Ans (C)
Since 2017, 30 June has been observed as International Asteroid Day.
The day is observed to raise public awareness about the threat posed by near-Earth objects (NEO) like asteroids or comets to the Earth and its population.
The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution on 6 December 2016 declaring 30 June International Asteroid Day.
The first International Asteroid Day was observed on 30 June 2017.
30 June was chosen because on this day in 1908, an asteroid crashed over the Tunguska River region in Siberia, Russia, devastating a 2,150 square km area.

Solution: Option B.)

Ans (B)
The IMF released an Artificial Intelligence Preparedness Index Dashboard tracking 174 economies globally for AI readiness
The Index ranks India at the 72nd position, with Bangladesh (0.38) at 113, Sri Lanka (0.43) at 92, and China (0.63) at 31.
Singapore (0.80), Denmark (0.78), and the United States (0.77) are among the highest-rated AEs, with India categorized as an EM with a 0.49 rating.

Solution: Option D.)

Ans (D)
The Central Railway has installed a floating solar plant of 10 MWp capacity in the Igatpuri Lake located in the Western Ghats, a first-of-its-kind initiative by the Indian Railways.
The railway is moving towards its ultimate goal of zero carbon emission by 2030.
The Central Railway has commissioned 12.05-MWp solar plants by utilizing the rooftops of railway stations and buildings.

Solution: Option A.)

Ans (A)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma approved the state’s first witness protection scheme to ensure fair justice by protecting witnesses from threats during investigations and trials.
The scheme includes in-camera trials, security devices at witnesses’ homes, close protection, temporary relocation, and government vehicle provision on hearing dates.

Solution: Option C.)

Ans (C)
The World Bank approved a $1.5 billion loan to support India’s low-carbon energy development, specifically for promoting green hydrogen and renewable energy.
This is the second funding round, following a similar $1.5 billion approval in June 2023 aimed at low-carbon energy development.
India’s targets of achieving 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and net zero by 2070.

Solution: Option A.)

Ans (A)
Two of India’s greatest-ever cricketers – Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma – announced their T20I retirements after the side’s second T20 World Cup win.
Rohit, who played a crucial role in India’s triumphant campaign, confirmed that he would continue to represent India in ODIs and Tests.
Rohit Sharma currently has 1,211 runs in T20 World Cups, including 248 runs in the ongoing edition.
Virat Kohli’s T20 international career began on June 12, 2010, when he made his debut against Zimbabwe.

Solution: Option B.)

Ans (B)
NASA has awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to construct a spacecraft aimed at safely deorbiting the International Space Station (ISS) by around 2030.
While SpaceX will build the vehicle, NASA will oversee its operation and take ownership of the craft once completed.
According to the space agency’s plans, SpaceX’s specially designed deorbit vehicle will drag the football field-size ISS back to Earth sometime after the end of its operational life in 2030.
The ISS will smash into our planet’s atmosphere at a speed of more than 17,000 mph (27,500 km/h) before landing in a crashdown spot in the ocean.