Daily Current Affairs 5 July 2024, MPSC Exam Current Affairs

Daily Current Affairs for MPSC Exam

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International

Hungary Replaced Belgium as the EU Council President for six months

• Hungary assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) on July 1, 2024, from Belgium, for six months (July to December 2024), during the ceremonial opening ceremony in Brussels, Belgium. The EU Presidency of Hungary is characterized by the motto "Make Europe Great Again."

• For the second time since entering the EU in 2004, Hungary is taking on the Council's rotating presidency. They took office for the first time in the first half of 2011. Presidency of Hungary in the EU, headed by Prime Minister (PM) Viktor Orbán.
• On January 1, 2025, Hungary will cede the Presidency to Poland, who will hold it until June 2025.

• presiding over Council meetings in all areas other than foreign or eurozone affairs;
• supporting the maintenance of the EU's presence in the Council.
• Seeking agreement among EU member states and mediating legislative agreements with the European Parliament; representing the institution before other EU entities and the general public in Europe.

• Capital- Budapest
• Currency- The Hungarian Forint
• Prime Minister (PM)- Viktor Orbán
• President - Tamás Sulyok

National

MoHUA Extended the Goal of Smart Cities Until March 2025 Permitting Cities to Finish Up Ongoing Initiatives

• The Smart Cities Mission (SCM) deadline was extended till March 31, 2025, by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India (GoI), on July 3, 2024. This extension allows cities to finish ongoing projects, which make up about 10% of the total projects.
• These projects, according to MoHUA, are in the advanced stages of development and were postponed because of a variety of on-ground circumstances.
• This is the second extension of the SCM deadline; the first one was on June 30, 2024.

• The Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) was introduced on June 25, 2015, by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi.
• The goal is to support inclusive, sustainable cities that offer basic services, a high standard of living, a clean, sustainable environment, and the use of "smart solutions."
• With more than 8,000 projects totaling over Rs 1.6 lakh crore, SCM has changed 100 cities.
• A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), created at the city level as a limited corporation under the Companies Act of 2013, is responsible for implementing the SCM.

• A smart city is a contemporary place that makes use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to increase public information sharing, operational efficiency, and the standard of government services and citizen welfare.

• As of July 3, 2024, 100 cities have completed 7,188 projects (approximately 90% of the overall projects) valued at Rs 1.44 lakh crore, according to official data from MoHUA.
• On the other hand, the remaining 830 projects, valued at Rs 19,926 crore, were nearing completion.
• In the Union Budget, GoI has set out Rs 48,000 crore for the 100 cities covered by SCM.
• As of July 3, 2024, the Gol has given the 100 cities a total of Rs 46,585 crore, or 97% of the central government funding that was allotted, of which 93% had been used up to that point.
• As of this moment, 74 cities chosen through the SCM have gotten all of the Gol contributions.

Economic

NABARD and Online PSB Loans Limited collaborate to digitalize RRB Jan Surakhsha Schemes

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Online PSB Loans Limited (OPL) and the National Bank for Agricultural and Rural Development (NABARD) to advance financial inclusion through Regional Rural Banks (RRBs).
• It attempts to streamline and digitize the Jan Suraksha Schemes (JSS) enrollment and claim resolution procedures for each of the 43 RRBs.

• To democratize access to financial protection plans in rural areas of the nation, NABARD will integrate all 43 RRBs onto the Jan Suraksha portal as part of this project.
• Portal Jan Suraksha: The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance (MoF), Government of India (GoI), is the initiative's sponsor.
• The Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), provide digital enrollment and claim settlements.
• The program uses technology to link the Jan Suraksha portal with the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) of RRBs through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), ensuring a hassle-free experience for banks and their clients.

• Established:- 1982
• Headquarters:- Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Chairman: - Shaji K.V.

Science & Technology

India has been announced as a partner nation for the Human Space Flight Programme by SERA and Blue Origin

• The Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) of the United States of America (USA) announced on July 1, 2024, that India would be a "Partner Nation" in their human spaceflight program for citizens of nations that have sent few or no astronauts to space. SERA is based in the USA and works in collaboration with Blue Origin, a company owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon.

• As part of this strategic alliance, SERA will provide six tickets to global citizens for a future flight on Blue Origin's reusable suborbital rocket, New Shepard.
• In addition to India, a seat on the Blue Origin mission will each go to Nigeria and the Maldives. The mission will honor the first Nigerian citizen to fly into space and celebrate this historic accomplishment.
• The chosen astronauts will travel 11 minutes on a New Shephard rocket past the Kármán line, which is the internationally recognized border of space, or 62 miles or 100 kilometers (km) above Earth.
• Launch site one in West Texas, USA, saw the liftoff of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket system in May 2024, carrying six crew members, including one Indian. The mission was dubbed New Shepard-25 (NS-25).

• Headquarters- Kent, Washington, the USA
• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)- Dave Limp

Sport

India wins the T20 World Cup 2024

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's Twenty20 (T20) World Cup 2024 was won by the men's national cricket team of India, led by captain Rohit Sharma, on June 29, 2024. The team defeated South Africa (The Proteas), led by captain Aiden Markram, by a margin of 7 runs in the final, which took place at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
• India has won its second T20 World Cup. Mahendra Singh (MS) Dhoni led India to victory in the 2007 T20 World Cup, the tournament's first edition.
• India's victory made it the third nation to win the title twice, behind the West Indies (2012 & 2016) and England (2010 & 022).

• The BCCI announced the Team India award of Rs 125 crore.
• In the 20-over and 50-over Cricket World Cups, Virat Kohli became the first-ever cricket player to score 3,000 runs.
• Indian cricket players Virat Kohli (35), Rohit Sharma (37), and Ravindra Jadeja have declared their retirement from Twenty20 International (T20I) cricket following their victory in the ICC T20 World Cup.
• The Indian side that won the title had six players in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 team of the competition.
• The 10th edition of the ICC T20 World Cup will be hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

• Established- 1909
• Headquarters- Dubai, The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
• Chairman- Greg Barclay

Defence

INDIAN ARMY CONTINGENT DEPARTS FOR INDIA- THAILAND JOINT MILITARY EXERCISE MAITREE

• The 13th India-Thailand joint military exercise, known as "MAITREE," is underway from July 1–15, 2024, in Fort Vachiraprakan in the Tak district of Thailand.
• India and Thailand have been conducting a yearly military drill known as the Maitree Exercise since 2006.
• The exercise's previous iteration took place in Umroi, Meghalaya in 2019.
• Medical and medical support exercises are part of this yearly military drill involving both air and ground units.

• The Battalion of Ladakh Scouts and members of other arms and services make up the majority of the 76-person Indian army contingent.
• One hundred and sixty-six members of the 1st Battalion, 14 Infantry Regiment of 4 Division make up the Royal Thailand Army (RTA) contingent.
• Collaboration: To promote military collaboration between India and Thailand;
• Enhancing joint capacities to carry out Joint Counter-Insurgency (COIN)/Terrorist Operations in Urban and Jungle Environments by Chapter VII of the UN Charter;
• Focus: It emphasizes tactical drills, teamwork, and physical fitness.
• Tactical Drills: During the exercise, the following tactical drills will take place: setting up an intelligence and surveillance center, creating a joint operation center, using drones and counter-drone systems, securing a landing site, deploying small teams for extraction and insertion, performing special heliborne operations, conducting cordon and search operations, conducting room intervention drills, and demolishing illegal structures.
• Benefits: By encouraging the exchange of best practices in tactics and procedures, Exercise MAITREE fosters interoperability and fosters a sense of camaraderie between soldiers from the two countries.

• Capital- Bangkok
• Currency- Thai Baht
• Prime Minister (PM)- Srettha Thavisin

Award

Hyderabad Metro Rail bags Golden Peacock award for safety excellence

• At the "Institute of Directors' (IOD) 25th International Conference on Environment Management and Climate Change-2024" in Bengaluru, Karnataka, L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd. (L&TMRHL) was presented with the Golden Peacock Award (GPA) for Excellence in Occupational Health & Safety (GPOHSA) in the Transportation (Railways) category.

• This award emphasizes L&TMRHL's commitment to upholding strict Safety, Health, and Environmental (SHE) standards and underlines the company's commitment to preserving a safe and healthy work environment.
• Since its establishment by the IOD, India in 1991, the GPA has come to be recognized globally as a standard for corporate excellence.
• A division of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), L&TMRHL is carrying out the Project using the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) methodology.
• Judge Ritu Raj Awasthi, a former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, and Uday U. Lalit, a former Chief Justice of India (CJI), gave the award to KVB Reddy, the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of L&TMRHL.

Book

The book about the Kargil War issued by Arunachal Governor

• Lt Gen (Retd) K T Parnaik, the governor of Arunachal Pradesh, inaugurated a book on the Kargil War on Wednesday. The book was written by the late Colonel M B Ravindranath, who was awarded the Vir Chakra.
• Parnaik launched the book, "Kargil War: The Turning Point," at the Rajendra Singhji Army Officers Institute's Cariappa Hall in Bengaluru.
• The author, a commanding officer of the Rajputana Rifles' 2nd battalion, provided details on his battalion's activities during Operation Vijay, which took place in May through July of 1999.
• On June 12–13, 1999, the battalion played a key role in taking control of the formidable "Tololing" feature in the Drass area. It turned out to be the pivotal moment in the battle and the Indian Army's first victory.

Obituary

'Annapurna' premai Purav passes away

• Prematai Purav (88), the founder of  Annapurna Mahila Mandal and Annapurna Pariwar, a freedom fighter in the Goa liberation struggle, who contributed to making thousands of women self-reliant by providing them self-employment, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88.

• Prematai, who is known as the Annapurna Mahila Mandal and later the Annapurna Park, hails from Goa.
• As a child, she participated in the Goa Liberation Movement, lived in different places in Goa, studied as much as she could, continued her revolutionary work, and later became associated with the Communist Party.
• Kaifi Azmi, Balraj Sahani, and Anna Bhau Sathe were his co-residents in the commune of Girgaum.
• It was in Mumbai that she married Narendra alias Dada Purav. Prematai started the tradition of going to the workers' homes while working for the mill workers' union. He enquired about the condition of the woman in his house.
• He set up the Annapurna Mahila Mandal so that this woman could stand on her own feet.

Important  Day

National Workaholics Day – 5 July

• Every year on July 5, we mark National Workaholics Day. The event is scheduled to be observed on Friday this year. Everyone needs to observe the day and take a vacation from their busy activities. You have to take care of your well-being and make time for yourself.
• This day is devoted to raising awareness of the detrimental effects that work ethic has on friends, family, and health, among other facets of life. To live a happy life, one must find a balance between work and life.
• Working all the time is not a good idea since it ruins your connections with other people. It's all about knowing how to split your time today.

• The concept of "good works" was first proposed in the 16th century, which is when National Workaholics Day first emerged. The Puritan group was the first to advocate for the idea, of viewing labor as a social duty that benefited all members of society.
• Along with increased consumption and mechanical labor, the Industrial Revolution also brought about a change in work ethic. Small-scale workshops vanished as manufacturing became more industrialized and more people consumed goods in large quantities.
• Because the worker was now more isolated from the machine, the value of their labor decreased as a result of this change in the workplace.

• Many people today continue to lead unhealthy lives at work, which can be harmful to their mental and physical well-being. On National Workaholics Day, consider the detrimental effects of a workaholic lifestyle and resolve to build a more fulfilling and sustainable one.
• We can design a more contented and happy existence by adopting a work ethic. The purpose of National Workaholic Day is to raise awareness of the significance of caring for oneself while earning a living. While work is vital, relationships and your health are just as crucial.