Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 18th August 2024

National News 

1. Three more Ramsar wetland sites now in India, taking total to 85 

• Three more Indian sites have been added to the list of wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, taking the total number of such highly-recognized waterlogged ecosystems in the country to 85. 
• The Nanjarayan Bird Sanctuary and the Kazhuveli Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, and the Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh are the three wetlands which have got the Ramsar site tag. 
• The 85 Indian wetlands on the Ramsar list span over 1.35 million hectares. Tamil Nadu has the maximum number of Ramsar sites (18) followed by Uttar Pradesh (10). 
• The number of Ramsar sites has increased from 26 to 85 in the last 10 years, of which 41 have been added in the last three years alone. 
• This takes our tally to 85 Ramsar sites, covering an area of 13,58,068 ha in India.
• The aim of the Ramsar list is to “develop and maintain an international network of wetlands, which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life, through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes, and benefits”. 
• The Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. It is named after the Iranian city of Ramsar, on the Caspian Sea, where the treaty was signed on February 2, 1971. 

2. Odisha to bring five Royal Bengal tigers from Maharashtra, MP by September 

• Tobolster big cat population in Odisha, forest officials have begun the process of relocating five Royal Bengal Tigers from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, with the transfer scheduled to be completed in September. 
• According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF)-Wildlife, Susanta Nanda, three of these tigers will be released into the Debrigarh Wildlife Sanctuary in Sambalpur, while the remaining two will be introduced into the Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj. 
• In its latest tiger estimation conducted for the first time during 2023-24 in 47 forest divisions of Odisha, 30 tigers and eight cubs were found.Out of the 30 Royal Bengal Tigers, 27 were found in the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR), while Keonjhar territorial and Keonjhar wildlife, Paralakhemundi territorial, and Hirakud wildlife had one tiger each. 
• The PCCF also said that the Nandankanan Zoological Park is all set to welcome two giraffes by the end of this month. 

About Odisha 

• Capital– Bhubaneswar 
• Chief Minister– Mohan Charan Majhi (replace Naveen Patnaik) 
• Deputy CM– KV Singhdeo and Pravati Parida 
• Governor– Raghubar Das 
• Legislative Assembly Seat– 147 

3. Delhi Airport 1st In Country To Get ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission’ Status 

• Delhi’s IGI Airport has become the first Indian airport to achieve the status of ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission Airport’ (Level 5 certification) under the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme of Airport Council International (ACI). 
• Initially the airport had set a target of achieving a net zero carbon emission by 2030. But through various measures including use of renewable energy, promotion of electric vehicles and development of infrastructure for a green airport, DIAL achieved its target ahead of schedule. 
• Achieving carbon-neutral status in 2016 and level 4+ transition accreditation in 2020 were only the beginning. Achieving the level five net-zero emission accreditation in 2024, we have once again demonstrated our commitment to continuous improvement and green initiatives. 

Defence news 

4. Gallantry awards update- 2024 

• President Droupadi Murmu has approved 103 gallantry awards for the Armed Forces and 213 for personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces and state police forces. 
• In addition to these gallantry awards, a total of 1,037 awards were given, including those for distinguished and meritorious service. 

The Ministry of Defence announced the following: 

• Four kirti chakras (three posthumous), 
• 18shaurya chakras (4 posthumous), 
• Onebar to sena medal (gallantry), 
• 63 sena medals (gallantry, including two posthumous), 
• 11 nao sena medals (gallantry), and 
• Six vayu sena medals (gallantry). 
• Sena medals are awarded to the Indian Army, while Nao sena and Vayu sena medals are for the Navy and Air Force. 
• The President has also approved 39 mention-in-despatches, including one posthumous award to Army dog Kent, for contributions in military operations. 
• Additionally, she has approved one President’s tatrakshak medal (distinguished service), one tatrakshak medal (gallantry), and two tatrakshak medals (meritorious service) for Indian Coast Guard personnel. 
• These honours recognise exceptional bravery and service. 
• The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been conferred with a total of 52 Gallantry medals, the highest among all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and state police forces as well as five Shauryas. 

Appointment & Resignation News

7. Govind Mohan appointed as new Home Secretary 

• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has appointed 1989-Sikkim cadre IAS officer Govind Mohan as the next Home Secretary. 
• Mohan will replace Ajay Kumar Bhalla upon completion of his tenure on August 22. Mohan is currently posted as Secretary in the Ministry of Culture. 
• Bhalla, a 1984-batch IAS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was appointed as Home Secretary in August 2019. 
• Mohan, who holds an electrical engineering degree from BHU-IIT Varanasi, has served as Union Culture Secretary since October 2021 and had two stints in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the past. 

Other Important Secretaries 

• Foreign Secretary– Vikram Misri 
• Revenue Secretary– Sanjay Malhotra 
• Defence Secretary– Giridhar Aramane 
• Economic Affairs Secretary– Ajay Seth 
• Finance Secretary– V. Somanathan 
• Expenditure Secretary– T. V. Somanathan 
• MoSPISecretary– G. P. Samanta 
• Cabinet Secretary– T V Somanathan 

8. Acting ED Chief Rahul Navin appointed Full-Time Head 

• Acting Enforcement Directorate (ED) chief Rahul Navin has been appointed full-time director of the anti-money laundering agency. 
• The appointment of Navin, a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, has been made “for a period of two years.” 
• The ED director is an Additional Secretary (AS) rank post in the Union government and Navin was empanelled as an AS in December last year. 
• MrNavin, 57, joined the ED in November, 2019 as a Special Director (OSD) to spearhead the agency’s work on India’s mutual evaluation by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global body that leads action against money laundering. 
• The ED investigates financial crimes under two criminal laws — the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) apart from the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). 

About Enforcement Directorate (ED) 

• Established- 1 May 1956 
• Headquarters- New Delhi, India 
• Director– Rahul Navin 
• Focus Area- Investigation and prosecution of financial crimes, money laundering, foreign exchange violations, and economic crimes. 
• Administrative Control- Works under the administrative control of the Revenue Department. 
• Ministry Affiliation- Part of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. 

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector

• Director General of Assam Rifles-Vikas Lakhera (22nd) 
• Director General of BSF– Daljit Singh Chawdhary (additional charge) 
• Additional National Security Adviser– Rajinder Khanna 
• Deputy National Security Adviser– TV Ravichandran, Pavan Kapoor & Pankaj Kumar 
• Vice Chief of Army Staff– NS Raja Subramani 
• Chief of Intelligence Bureau– Tapan Kumar Deka (reappointment for 1 year) 

 9. P Harish appointed as India’s Permanent Representative to United Nations 

• The Ministry of External Affairs has appointed seasoned diplomat Parvathaneni Harish as India’s next Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. 
• Harish, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently serving as India’s ambassador to Germany. 
• The position of India’s ambassador or permanent representative to the UN has been lying vacant after Ruchira Kamboj retired in June. 

About United Nations (UN) 

• Founded– 24 October 1945 
• Headquarters– New York, US 
• Official languages– Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian & Spanish 
• Membership– 193 members (193rd– South Sudan) 
• 1st Secretary General– Trygve Halvdan Lie (Norway) 
• 9thSecretary‑General– António Guterres (Portugal) 
• Deputy Secretary-General– Amina J. Mohammed (Nigeria) 
• India’s Permanent Representative to UN– Parvathaneni Harish (replace Ruchira Kamboj) 
• United Nations Day is celebrated on October 24 every year 

10. Japan’s PM Fumio Kishid to resign in September 

• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will step down in September, ending a three-year term marred by political scandals. 
• Kishida’s decision to quit triggers a contest to replace him as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and by extension as the leader of the world’s fourth-biggest economy. 

About Japan 

• Capital– Tokyo 
• Currency– Yen 
• Prime Minister– Fumio Kishida 

11. Paetongtarn Shinawatra becomes new PM of Thailand 

• The Thai Parliament voted to make Paetongtarn Shinawatra the next as well as the youngest-ever prime minister of Thailand. 
• Paetongtarn succeeds Srettha Thavisin, who was removed from his post by a constitutional court ruling. 
• The parliament confirmed the nomination of Paetongtarn, 37, by the ruling coalition of her Pheu Thai party. 
• Thai and its partners hold 314 seats in parliament, and Paetongtarn needed the approval of more than half of the current 493 lawmakers to become prime minister. 

About Thailand 

• Capital- Bangkok 
• Currency- Thai Baht 
• Official language- Thai 
• King- Maha Vajiralongkorn 
• Prime Minister– Paetongtarn Shinawatra 

Newly Appointed Prime Minister & President 

• President of Rwanda– Paul Kagame (4th time) 
• PMof Bulgaria– Goritsa Gruncharova-Kozhareva 
• PMof Tunisia– Kamel Madouri 
• Head of Bangladesh’s interim government– Muhammad Yunus 
• President of Iran– Masoud Pezeshkian 

Science and technology news 

12. New treatments for drug resistant TB 2024 

• India is getting ready to roll out BPaL (bedaquiline, pretomanid, and linezolid) regimen for all multi/extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis patients. 
• This is a significant move in the country’s battle against M/XDR-TB with the new regime. 
• It is indicating good results in such countries including Pakistan, South Africa, Ukraine, etc. 
• Currently, India has a 56% treatment success rate for MDR/RR-TB cases, and 48% for XDR-TB cases. 
• In 2022, WHO has recommended the six-month regimens BPaL (bedaquiline + pretomanid + linezolid) and BPaLM (BPaL + moxifloxacin) as treatment options for most forms of drug-resistant TB. 
• The estimated number of drug-resistant TB in India has been reduced by 21% from 1.4 lakh in 2015 to 1.1 lakh in 2022. 

13. Homo floresiensis 

• Researchers discovered three hominin fossils dating to 700,000 years from Mata Menge in the So’a Basin of central Flores of Indonesia. 
• With this, Scientists have come up with two theories to describe their origin. 
• The first argues that Homo floresiensis was a dwarfed descendant of early Asian Homo erectus. 
• Anextinct human species, Homo erectus may have lived between 100,000 and 1.6 million years ago. 
• The second theory suggests that Homo floresiensis is a descendant of a more ancient hominin from Africa like Homo habilis or the famous ‘Lucy’ (Australopithecus afarensis). 
• They were also smaller in stature and existed before Homo erectus. 
• The new study found that the three fossils had slightly smaller jaws and teeth than Homo floresiensis.
• This suggests that their small body size evolved early in the history of Flores hominins. 
• These hominins likely witnessed a drastic body size reduction from large-bodied Asian Homo erectus sometime between 1 and 0.7 million years ago. 

Sports News

14. Gus Atkinson and Chamari Athapaththu crowned as Player of the month award for July 2024 

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has revealed the recipients of the ICC Players of the Month awards for July 2024. 
• England’s Gus Atkinson and Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu have been crowned as the standout performers in men’s and women’s cricket, respectively, for their exceptional contributions to the sport during the month. 
• Gus Atkinson made an unforgettable entrance into Test cricket during England’s ICC World Test Championship series against the West Indies. His remarkable performance played a pivotal role in England’s comprehensive 3-0 series victory on home soil. 
• Chamari Athapaththu, the influential captain of the Sri Lankan women’s cricket team, continued to demonstrate her exceptional leadership and batting prowess in July. Her performances were instrumental in Sri Lanka’s historic triumph in the Women’s Asia Cup. 

ICC Men’s Player of the Month 

• January 2024– Shamar Joseph (West Indies) 
• February 2024 — Yashasvi Jaiswal (India) 
• March 2024– Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka) 
• April 2024– Muhammad Waseem (UAE) 
• May2024– Gudakesh Motie (West Indies) 
• June 2024– Jasprit Bumrah (India) 

ICC Women’s Player of the Month 

• January 2024– Amy Hunter (Ireland) 
• February 2024– Annabel Sutherland (Australia) 
• March 2024– Maia Bouchier (England) 
• April 2024– Hayley Matthews (West Indies) 
• May 2024– Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka) 
• June 2024– Smriti Mandhana (India) 

Miscellaneous news 

15. Neelakurinji- Threatened Species 

• Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), has been included on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) official Red List of threatened species. 
• The purplish flowering shrub blooms once in 12 years. 
• This is the first ever Global Red List assessment for this flagship species of the montane grasslands of southwest India. 
• Almost 40% of the habitat has been lost, the remaining is under pressure from invasion of exotic species such as eucalyptus and black wattle. 
• The second theory suggests that Homo floresiensis is a descendant of a more ancient hominin from Africa like Homo habilis or the famous ‘Lucy’ (Australopithecus afarensis). 
• They were also smaller in stature and existed before Homo erectus. 
• The new study found that the three fossils had slightly smaller jaws and teeth than Homo floresiensis. 
• This suggests that their small body size evolved early in the history of Flores hominins. 
• These hominins likely witnessed a drastic body size reduction from large-bodied Asian Homo erectus sometime between 1 and 0.7 million years ago. 

Obituary News

16. Renowned DRDO scientist Ram Narain Agarwal dies at 83 

• Renowned Indian scientist Dr Ram Narain Agarwal, a pivotal figure in the development of India’s missile system, died at the age of 84. 
• Known as the ‘Father of Agni Missiles’, Dr Agarwal played a key role in defence research and in the development of India’s long-range ballistic missile program, particularly the Agni series of missiles. 
• The Agni missile was the most ambitious of the five missiles sought to be developed under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme launched in 1983 by the Government of India. The others were Prithvi, Akash, Nag, and Trishul. 
• DrAgarwal led India’s Agni missile programme from its inception in 1983 until his retirement in 2005. 
• Hewas awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 by the Prime Minister of India for his contributions to aerospace and the Agni missile. He also received the DRDO Technology Leadership Award and Chandrasekhara Saraswati National Eminence Award. He was honored with the Padma Shri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan in 2000 by the President of India.