Current Affairs | National | International | SSC | UPSC 24th August 2024

1. M. Suresh has assumed the additional charge of Chairman of the Airports Authority of India (AAI). 

• M. Suresh currently serves as a member (Air Navigation Services) in the AAI. He will hold the charge in addition to his current responsibilities for a period of three months or until further orders. He has been amemberofthe Airports Authority of India since September 2, 2021. 
• He has vast experience as Regional Executive Director (North East Region) and Airport Director at Goa, Jammu, and Madurai Airports. He is an Air Navigation Service technical expert and has vast experience in the planning, provision, operation & maintenance of CNS facilities. 

2. India launched its 1st reusable hybrid rocket, 'RHUMI-1'. 

• ‘RHUMI-1, India’s first reusable hybrid rocket, has been developed by the Tamil Nadu-based start-up Space Zone India with Martin Group. It has been launched from Thiruvidandhai in Chennai. The rocket carried 3 cube satellites and 50 PICO satellites. 
• It has been launched into a suborbital trajectory through a mobile launcher. These satellites will be used to collect data for research purposes on global warming and climate change. The RHUMIRocket is equipped with a generic fuel-based hybrid motor and an electrically triggered parachute deployer. It is 100% pyrotechnic-free and 0% TNT. The RHUMImission is led by Anand Megalingam, the founder of the Space Zone. 
• The RHUMI-1 rocket used both liquid and solid fuel propellant systems to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs. Space Zone India is an aero-technology company that is working to provide low-cost and long-term solutions in the space industry. 

3. National Medical Register Portal was launched by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in New Delhi. 

• On August 23, the National Medical Register portal launched by Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda in New Delhi for the registration of all MBBS doctors eligible for registration in India. 
• This portal will be a comprehensive and dynamic database of all Allopathic (MBBS) registered doctors in the country. The National Medical Register is a much-awaited step in this direction, which will strengthen the digital healthcare ecosystem and ensure quality healthcare for people. The government will also launch a similar register for paramedics and other health professionals. 
• The National Medical Commission is authorised under the NMC Act, which states that the Board of Ethics and Medical Registration shall maintain a National Register in electronic form. This shall contain the name, address and all recognised qualifications of the licensed medical practitioner. 

4. Rajesh Nambiar named President-designate of NASSCOM. 

• On August 21, IT industry body National Association of Software Services Companies (NASSCOM) announced the appointment of Rajesh Nambiar as its president-designate. 
• Nambiar, who resigned as chairman and managing director of Cognizant India, will replace Debjani Ghosh at Nasscom, whose term will complete in November 2024. Nambiar is an industry veteran, having worked with and led global teams at TCS, IBM, Ciena, and Cognizant. 
• He was a member of the NASSCOM Executive Council before being elected President in 2023. His leadership and strategic initiatives have been instrumental in establishing India's tech sector as a global leader. 

5. Indian women won the team title for the first time at the Under-17 Wrestling World Championships in Jordan. 

• Indian women continued their dominance at the ongoing Under-17 World Wrestling Championship in Amman, Jordan, winning the team title for the first time with 185 points. With 146 points, Japan finished second and Kazakhstan finished third with 79 points. Kajal became the fifth wrestler from the country to win a gold medal. 
• Kajal won her bout in the 69kg weight category by defeating Oleksandr Rybak of Ukraine 9-2. However, in the 46kg weight category, Shrutika Patil had to settle for a silver medal after losing to Japanese wrestler Yuu Katsume. 
• Raj Bala won the bronze medal in the 40kg category with a 11-5 win over Japan's Monaka Umekawa. Muskan, on the other hand, added an additional medal to India's kitty by defeating USA's Isabella Gonzales on the basis of technical superiority in the 53kg bronze play-off. Indian women won eight medals including five gold, one silver and two bronze. 

6. On August 25, Kaanu will be launched at the Tribal Health Resource Centre (THRC) at BR Hills, Karnataka. 

• Kaanu is going to be an Adivasi Knowledge Centre for South India. Kaanu means evergreen forest in both Kannada and Soliga language. Kaanu aims to become the first-ever knowledge hub about the history, culture, and customs of South Indian Adivasis. 
• The three branches of Kaanu are listed below. Alibrary featuring literature by and on the Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka indigenous communities Kaanu annotated bibliography with more than 1,200 historical and modern works about the South Indian Adivasi world Abook coauthored by researchers who are Adivasis and non-Adivasis from South India. 
• The creators of this initiative include a group of academics and leaders from several Adivasi communities in South India, as well as non-Adivasi researchers. 

7. Agreements in the fields of agriculture, medicine, and cultural cooperation have been signed by India and Ukraine. 

• Under the direction of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, four important documents that will improve bilateral ties in various sectors were signed. Aframework for cooperation in the food industry and agriculture is part of the agreements. 
• A MoU was signed in the area of medical product regulation by the State Service of Ukraine on Medicines and Drugs Control and the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation of India. 
• Another MoU lays out the framework for Indian humanitarian grant support for high-impact community development initiatives in Ukraine. AProgram of Cultural Cooperation spanning the years 2024–2028 was also signed. The goal of this program is to strengthen cultural links between Ukraine and India. 

8. Central government launched a centralized portal for construction workers.

• The government launched a portal named Building and Other Construction Workers (BoCW) Management Information System (MIS) for construction workers. It was launched during a review meeting chaired by labour secretary Sumita Dawra. 
• This portal will function as the centralized data management system for the compilation and analysis of the data obtained from the BoCW welfare boards of the states. States/UTs have to register on the portal and update details including fund utilisation and registration of workers under various Central and State schemes. 
• This portal will also provide information on social security benefits, insurance, health benefits, and housing schemes, among others. Around 57 million workers registered with the building and construction workers welfare boards of various states & UTs. The boards have spent more than Rs 66,000 crore on providing benefits under various welfare schemes to these workers. 

9. Anil Ambani banned from capital markets for five years by SEBI. 

• Market regulator SEBI has barred Anil Dhirubhai Ambani from capital markets for five years and imposed a fine of Rs 25 crore on him for siphoning off funds from Reliance Home Finance. SEBI has banned key officials of Reliance Home Finance and 27 other entities from the capital markets. 
• Anil Ambani will not be able to hold any position such as directorship or key managerial role in any listed company or any intermediary registered with SEBI for a period of five years. The market regulator imposed a total fine of Rs 6 lakh on Reliance HomeFinance and also barred it from the securities market for six months. 
• SEBI has asked the entities to pay the fine within 45 days of receiving the order. Noticee No. 1 (RHFL) is prohibited from accessing the securities market and from buying, selling, or dealing in securities, directly or indirectly, for 6 months from the date this order takes effect. 
• Additionally, RHFL is barred from any association with the securities market in any manner during this period. RHFL offers home loans, loan against property, construction finance etc. as a part of its business. 

10. Innovative Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) Project unveiled in Varanasi by strategic alliance between NMCG, IIT (BHU) and Denmark. 

• The Green Strategic Partnership between the Governments of India and Denmark has fostered significant collaboration, resulting in the establishment of the Smart Laboratory on Clean Rivers (SLCR) in Varanasi. 
• This alliance is a unique tripartite initiative between the Government of India (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), Indian Institute of Technology– Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU) and the Government of Denmark. 
• It aims to bring excellence in conservation and management of small rivers. SLCR aims to conserve the Varuna River using a sustainable approach by leveraging expertise from both countries. Its objectives also include creating a collaborative platform for government bodies, knowledge institutions and local communities to share knowledge and develop solutions for clean river water. 
• The initiative involves setting up a hybrid lab model at IIT-BHU and an on-field living lab on the Varuna River to virtually test and benchmark solutions. The Indo-Danish Joint Steering Committee (JSC) is the apex forum for SLCR which provides strategic guidance and reviews progress. 
• The Project Review Committee (PRC) comprising members from National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Central Water Commission (CWC), Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), IIT-BHU and Danish Urban Sector Consultant will oversee quality control at the project level. 
• The SLCR Secretariat will receive an initial funding of Rs 16.80 crore from the Ministry of Jal Shakti and an additional grant of Rs 5 crore from Denmark to provide support in long-term sustainability and project development. 

11. India and Poland have elevated their relations to “strategic partnership.” 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Poland from August 21–22, 2024. Both countries have elevated their bilateral relations to the status of a “Strategic Partnership”. This new strategic partnership between India and Poland aims to unlock the full potential of their relationship. 
• A joint statement and an action plan for the years 2024–2028 were also f inalized. Both countries’ leaders agreed to deepen bilateral, regional, and international cooperation to create a more stable, prosperous, and sustainable world. Both sides acknowledged the necessity of cooperation in the fields of defence and security. 
• Both sides agreed to fully utilize the Joint Commission for Economic Cooperation to explore new areas of collaboration. Both countries leaders also reiterated their stance against the use of nuclear weapons and stressed the importance of respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity. 

12. Diana Pundole became the first female national racing champion from India. 

• Diana Pundole won the national championship title in the saloon category at the MRF Indian National Car Racing Championship 2024 in Chennai. She is a mother of two children and a teacher in Pune. 
• She was oneof 200womenselected from across India to undergo rigorous trials as part of a national talent hunt. Her approach to studying data and refining her driving techniques has been instrumental in her success on the track. She is the first and only female participant in the prestigious Indian Touring Cars mixed category. 

13. List of Critical and Stragical minerals 2024

• The Central Government has notified a list of 24 minerals including Tantalum, in Part D of the First Schedule of the MMDR Act, 1957 as Critical and Strategic minerals. 
• Tantalum is a rare metal with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73 
• The Geological Survey of India has taken up 6 projects on exploration for Tantalum and associated minerals in different parts of the country. 
• Raw tantalum rarely occurs in nature. 
• It is typically found in the ore columbite-tantalite (usually referred to as coltan). 
• It has an extremely high melting point, exceeded only by tungsten and rhenium. 
• Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Brazil, and Nigeria are the Major Producers of Tae. 

14. 75th anniversary of Geneva Conventions 

• 2024 commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. 
• The Geneva Conventions are a set of international treaties that establish legal standards for humanitarian treatment during war. 
• The first Geneva Convention was adopted in 1864 to protect wounded soldiers on the battlefield. 

The Four Conventions 

1. 1st Convention: Protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war. 
2. 2nd Convention: Extends protection to wounded, sick, and shipwrecked military personnel at sea. 
3. 3rd Convention: Focuses on the treatment of prisoners of war. 
4. 4th Convention: Protects civilians, including those in occupied territories, from inhumane treatment. 

• These four Conventions were adopted on 12 August 1949. 
• Two Additional Protocols were adopted in 1977 to strengthen protections in both international and non-international armed conflicts. 
• A third protocol was added in 2005 to recognize the Red Crystal as an additional emblem alongside the Red Cross and Red Crescent. 

15. Perseid Meteor Shower 2024 

• The Perseids, one of the year's most prolific meteor showers, are raining dozens of "shooting stars". 
• The Perseid meteor shower is active from July 17 to August 24, it was peak on the night of August 12, before dawn on August 13th. 
• Under ideal conditions, 50 to 100 meteors can be seen per hour. 
• So-called shooting stars are not really stars but tiny bits of rock plunging through Earth's atmosphere at more than 130,000 mph (210,000 km/h). 
• The only satellite ever destroyed was the Olympus communications satellite during a Perseid outburst in 1993. 

16. Juanga Tribe- FRA ACt 

• The Juangs of Jajpur in Odisha have become the fifth Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in the country.
• They are the second in the state to get habitat rights under the Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. 
• The rights will provide the Juangs uninterrupted access and legal recognition to their ancestral land and resources. 
• Habitat rights are given to PVTGs under section 3(1) (e) of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006. Juang tribals reside in 13 villages under Sukinda block of Jajpur. 

17. World Airline Awards 2024 

• Qatar Airways has reclaimed the top spot, earning the coveted title of the world’s best airline in 2024. 
• It was replacing Singapore Airlines, and pushing it to the second position, while Emirates secured third rank. 
• India’s Vistara– globally ranked 16th– has emerged as the best airline in India and South Asia for 2024. 
• India has become the third-largest domestic airline market globally, with its capacity doubling from 7.9 million in 2014 to 15.5 million in April 2024.