Current Affairs Quiz: June 1, 2024

Option C
Explanation:
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IITK), in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has established a DRDO-Industry-Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA CoE) on its campus for interdisciplinary research in next-generation defence technologies.

Option A
Explanation:
According to the latest release of Times Higher Education’s (THE) Asia University Rankings 2024, Indian universities have made significant progress in some areas while facing some setbacks in others. The Indian Institute of Science is leading the way for Indian universities at 32nd position.
THE’s Asia University Rankings are highly competitive, with Tsinghua University in China retaining its top position for the sixth consecutive year. Peking University follows closely, maintaining its second place ranking, while the National University of Singapore secures the third spot.

Option C
Explanation:
Bank of Maharashtra has launched Maha Krishi Samriddhi Yojana (MKSY), which provides financial assistance for agri-infrastructure projects involved in food and agro-based industries, processing activities and development of agricultural infrastructure facilities.

Option B
Explanation:
Bank credit growth in FY25 is expected to moderate 200 basis points (bps) to 14% from an estimated growth of 16% in FY24 due to a high base effect, a revision in risk weights and a somewhat slower pace of gross domestic product (GDP) growth, CRISIL Ratings said in a report.

Option B
Explanation:
Canadian-American film and TV producer Albert S Ruddy, who won Oscars for The Godfather and Million Dollar Baby, has passed away at the age of 94. Ruddy, celebrated for his contributions to film and television, leaves behind a rich legacy that has left an indelible mark on the entertainment world.

Option B
Explanation:
The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has granted approval for the appointment of Sandeep Batra as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company,effective from June 30,2024. He will replace M S Ramachandran.

Option B
Explanation:
Sweden will donate two radar surveillance and command aircraft to Ukraine to boost its defences in the war with Russia, the Swedish government said, its largest aid package to Ukraine so far, worth about 13.3 billion Swedish crowns (US$1.3 billion).

Option C
Explanation:
Russia is set to remove the Taliban from its list of banned terrorist organizations, three years after the group regained power in Afghanistan. This move comes after years of Russia fostering relations with the Taliban, including holding multiple rounds of talks and boosting trade despite international sanctions.

Option B
Explanation:
Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), along with the Tata Group and Adar Poonawalla-led Serum Institute of India (SII), have been recognized as some of the world’s most influential companies by TIME magazine for 2024. For Reliance, this marks its second appearance in the TIME 100 list.

Option C
Explanation:
Venus appears to be more volcanically active than previously known, according to scientists whose new analysis of decades-old radar images has spotted evidence of eruptions at two additional sites on the surface of Earth’s inhospitable planetary neighbour.
Italy’s International Research School of Planetary Sciences has claimed to have known the details about the changes related to the planet’s surface. These images captured by the researchers were then tallied with the earlier images of the planet’s surface taken between 1990-1992.

Option B
Explanation:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has moved approximately 100 tonnes (1 lakh kilograms) of gold from the United Kingdom to its vaults in India. This is the first time since 1991 that India has undertaken such a large-scale transfer of gold reserves.
More than half of the RBI’s gold reserves are held overseas in secure custody with the Bank of England and the Bank of International Settlements, while approximately a third is stored domestically. This move is expected to help the RBI save on storage costs currently paid to the Bank of England.

Option D
Explanation:
In collaboration, the Indian Institute of Management Raipur (IIM Raipur), Birmingham City University (BCU), and Ronkel Media Education and Research Institute have introduced an elective in the Executive MBA (EMBA) programme.

Option B
Explanation:
Google Cloud and Bengaluru-based EkStep Foundation have collaborated to expedite the adoption of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and Digital Public Goods (DPGs) across different domains and sectors, according to a joint statement.

Option C
Explanation:
Truecaller, the world’s leading global communications platform, announced the latest salvo in its arsenal of spam and scam fighting abilities: the AI Call Scanner.AI Call Scanner is trained to detect and differentiate between human voices and AI-synthesized voices, empowering people to safeguard themselves against potential scams and fraudulent activities.

Option C
Explanation:
The RBI aspires to promote the internationalization of the Indian Rupee to facilitate bilateral trade in local currencies. As a part of its strategic action plan, the RBI allowed the opening of rupee accounts outside India.
In its Annual Report, RBI said rationalization of various guidelines will be a priority, with an emphasis on continuous synchronization of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) operating framework with the evolving macroeconomic environment.

Option C
Explanation:
As many as 36,075 frauds were reported in banks in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24), growing nearly 166 per cent from the 13,564 cases reported in FY23.
The amount involved in the bank frauds decreased 46.7 percent year-on-year (Y-o-Y) in FY to Rs 13,930 crore, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) annual report released The amount in FY23 was Rs 26,127 crore.

Option C
Explanation:
The Data Security Council of India (DSCI), a not-for-profit industry body on data protection, in partnership with the IT infrastructure services provider Kyndryl launched a cybersecurity training programme – Cyber Sainik, which will train 25,000 students in three years across India.

Option C
Explanation:
Reliance General Insurance has launched a new accident policy Reliance Personal Accident 360Shield which will cover an individual’s financial liabilities like loans and EMIs in addition to expenses related to hospitalisation and aftercare in the event of an incident.

Option C
Explanation:
Real GDP has been estimated to grow by 8.2% in FY 2023-24 as compared to the growth rate of 7.0% in FY 2022-23. Nominal GDP has witnessed a growth rate of 9.6% in FY 2023-24 over the growth rate of 14.2% in FY 2022-23.

Option B
Explanation:
The combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 6.2 per cent (provisional) in April, 2024 as compared to the Index in April, 2023. The production of Electricity, Natural Gas, Coal, Steel, Refinery Products, Crude Oil and Cement recorded positive growth in April 2024.
The final growth rate of the Index of Eight Core Industries for January 2024 is revised to 4.1 per cent. The cumulative growth rate of ICI during 2023-24 reported 7.6 per cent (provisional) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.

Option B
Explanation:
National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India has been awarded with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Option C
Explanation:
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has cleared South Korea-based Shinhan Bank’s proposed acquisition of an 11 per cent stake in HDFC Credila Financial Services.Part of the Shinhan Financial Group, Shinhan Bank Co Ltd is a multinational bank, which commenced operations in India in 1996.