Current Affairs Quiz: June 6, 2024

Option C
Explanation:
The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) Bombay and Delhi are among the top 150 universities in the world, while the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) retained the top rank globally for the 13th time, according to the QS World University Ranking, 2025 announced. While IIT Bombay has climbed from 149 last year to 118, up by 31 ranks, IIT Delhi improved its rank by 47 points to bag the 150th position globally.

Option B
Explanation:
Tata Motors said its board has approved to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary to house commercial vehicles business. The company has proposed the name of the new unit as TML Commercial Vehicles Ltd (TMLCVL).

Option B
Explanation:
Axis Bank, a private sector bank, and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, a private general insurer, have entered a strategic bancassurance partnership to boost insurance penetration and financial inclusion in the country.

Option C
Explanation:
National Pension System’s (NPS) assets under management (AUM) have touched ₹12.16 lakh crore as of May 25, the latest data from the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) showed.The AUM is up by 28 per cent from ₹9.52 lakh crore a year ago. The overall AUM, including Atal Pension Yojana (APY), was also higher than the March 2024 level of ₹11.73 lakh crore.

Option A
Explanation:
The government, led by GIC chairman Ramaswamy Narayanan, is developing parametric and hydroelectric insurance pools to enhance disaster protection. Parametric coverage will pay claims based on predefined triggers like earthquakes, while the hydroelectric pool will insure losses to power projects due to natural disasters.

Option C
Explanation:
Nvidia, AMD and Intel have separately launched the next generation of their artificial intelligence (AI) chips in Taiwan, as a three-way race heats up. The company would roll out its most advanced AI chip platform, called Rubin, in 2026.The Rubin platform will succeed the Blackwell, which supplies chips for data centers and was announced only in March. It was dubbed by Nvidia at the time as the “world’s most powerful chip.”

Option C
Explanation:
Boeing’s new Starliner capsule flew its first crew of astronauts to orbit from Florida in a much-delayed test mission to the International Space Station.
The CST-100 Starliner, with astronauts Barry “Butc h” Wilmore and Sunita “Suni” Williams aboard, lifted off from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, strapped to an Atlas V rocket furnished and flown by the Boeing-Lockheed Martin joint venture United Launch Alliance (ULA).

Option D
Explanation:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software named Parallel RANS Solver for Aerospace Vehicle Aero-thermo-dynamic Analysis (PraVaHa).

Option D
Explanation:
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has launched ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ Campaign on the occasion of World Environment Day(June 5). Modi’s planted a Peepal tree at Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi.

Option C
Explanation:
Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier Telecom R&D centre of the Government of India, awarded UN’s WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award for the project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast emergency Alerting”, recognised under AI, C-7, E-environemnt, in the category of ‘Benefits in all aspects of life – E-environment”.

Option A
Explanation:
The Trishakti Corps of the Indian Army celebrated World Environment Day(June 5) with numerous “Go Green Initiatives” in North Bengal and Sikkim. A key highlight was the inauguration of a plastic waste management and recycling plant in Changgu, East Sikkim.

Option A
Explanation:
The 2024 Heads of State Summit for the Kavango-Zambezi Trans-Frontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA) took place in Livingstone, Zambia, where member states renewed their calls to withdraw from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Leaders of the five member countries (Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe) agreeing to argue their case for lifting of the ban on ivory trade at the 20th meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP20) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) due next year in Geneva, Switzerland.

Option C
Explanation:
South Korea has officially launched its space agency, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA), to lead policy and industrial development in its aerospace sector. Yoon Young-bin, the first administrator of the new space agency.
The establishment was made possible after the Country’s national assembly passed a special law in January to unify government organizations in charge of space policy and projects. The new agency is based in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, with an annual budget of 758.9 billion won ($556 million).

Option C
Explanation:
Peru became the 41st signatory to the Artemis Accords at a ceremony at NASA Headquarters in Washington.  The Artemis Accords were established in 2020 by the United States and seven other countries to set out a practical set of principles to guide civil space exploration and use.

Option D
Explanation:
The Maldives has banned entry of the people of Israel to protest against the latter’s months-long Gaza offensive. The president of the island nation, Mohamed Muizzu, has resolved to impose a ban on those bearing Israeli passports. Muizzu also announced a national fundraising campaign called “Maldivians in Solidarity with Palestine”.

Option C
Explanation:
Sanya Malhotra won the Best Actress award for her role in ‘Mrs’ at the New York Indian Film Festival 2024. The film is a remake of the Malayalam film, ‘The Great Indian Kitchen’, which revolves around Sanya’s character who navigates the challenges and expectations imposed by society and her marital life.

Option A
Explanation:
The government has named Sushil Kumar Singh, a joint secretary looking after ports/ PPP and PHRD in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and waterways as the Chairperson of Deendayal Port Authority (formerly Kandla Port).

Option C
Explanation:
Volvo Cars is launching the world’s first EV battery passport recording the origins of raw materials, components, recycled content and carbon footprint for its flagship EX90 SUV, the Swedish automaker said

Option C
Explanation:
A team of teachers and students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Dharwad, led by Sudheer Siddapureddy and Ameer Mulla, has developed a fire rescue assistant drone. The project was completed with funding from TiHAN Foundation, IIT Hyderabad (NMICPS, Government of India).

Option A
Explanation:
Poet and playwright Siddhalinga Pattanashetti has been chosen for the prestigious Gudleppa Hallikeri Award for 2024 by the Gudleppa Hallikeri Memorial Foundation, Hosaritti (Haveri District).

Option B
Explanation:
Haryana Chief Secretary T V S N Prasad said the state government will soon roll out a Rs 10,000-crore project. This ten-year comprehensive project funded by the World Bank to address air pollution.
The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development will be implemented in the state in a phased manner with the first phase being implemented in the districts falling in the National Capital Region (NCR) and replication in entire state later.

Option D
Explanation:
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is planning a new initiative aimed at aiding organisations and startups through the adoption of Industry emerging technologies. It has called for a proposal for “Industry 4.0 a baseline Survey among MSMEs” that aligns with the broader vision of fostering digital transformation and preparing industries for the advent of 5G and 6G technologies.

Option C
Explanation:
Defence Accounts Department (DAD), Ministry of Defence has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank in New Delhi to onboard them as SPARSH [System for Pension Administration (Raksha)] Service Centres across 1,128 branches of the four banks across the country.

Option C
Explanation:
Secretary, MeitY, S Krishnan has inaugurated Indigenous Air Quality Monitoring System (AQ-AIMS) and launched Air-Pravah App on the occasion of World Environment Day on June t, 2024. These are developed under MeitY supported technologies.

Option C
Explanation:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to facilitate collaboration between the two ministries in operating a special cell of Tele MANAS, the National Telemental Health Helpline of MoHFW, as a pilot project for a period of two years at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune.

Option B
Explanation:
Ministry of Mines and Central TB Division of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare signed a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) in New Delhi for collaborative and convergent action towards elimination of Tuberculosis.The MoU will forge inter-ministerial collaboration and strategic partnerships to achieve the target of Eliminating Tuberculosis (TB) in India by 2025.