Current Affairs 16 July 2024

Current Affairs 16 July 2024

01. Who has recently assumed the charge as Foreign Secretary of India in July 2024?
(a) Vinay Mohan Kwatra
(b) Randhir Jaiswal
(c) S Jaishankar
(d) Vikram Misri

Ans : D

• Vikram Misri assumed the charge of Foreign Secretary of India on Monday.
• The Ministry of External Affairs expressed warm regards and best wishes to him for a successful tenure.
• Misri succeeds Vinay Mohan Kwatra as the Foreign Secretary.
• Misri has served as private secretary to three Prime Ministers – Inder Kumar Gujral, Manmohan Singh, and Narendra Modi.

02. Who has been appointed as Co-Chair of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders? (July 2024)
(a) Anand Mahindra, Chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra
(b) Sumant Sinha, Founder, Chairman and CEO of ReNew
(c) N. Chandrasekaran, Chairperson of the Tata Group
(d) Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries

Ans : B

• Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO of ReNew, has been appointed Co-Chair of the Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders, the largest CEO-led climate alliance globally.
• The alliance is a flagship initiative of the World Economic Forum (WEF), comprising 130 member CEOs from 12 industries, representing $4 trillion in revenues and responsible for 5.2 gigatonnes of carbon emissions annually.
• Sinha collaborates with notable leaders like Ester Baiget (CEO of Novonesis) and Jesper Brodin (CEO of Ingka Group Ikea) in this role.
• He aims to drive systemic action and foster public-private collaboration to achieve tangible climate solutions.
• Under Sinha’s leadership, ReNew has adopted strategies for net-zero targets and achieved a 1.5°C-aligned science-based target validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
• ReNew has mitigated over 21 million tons of carbon emissions in the last two years and has a substantial portfolio of 21.4 GW in projects.
• Gim Huay Neo, Managing Director of WEF, praised Sinha’s experience, highlighting his insights into energy transitions in emerging economies as invaluable for amplifying the Alliance’s impact.

03. In which state has Sembcorp initiated a ₹36,238 crore green hydrogen project?
(a) Karnataka
(b) Gujarat
(c) Tamil Nadu
(d) Andhra Pradesh

Ans : C

• Sembcorp Industries is investing ₹36,238 crore to establish a green hydrogen unit in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
• The initial engineering design contract has been awarded to Tecnimont, part of Italy’s Maire, for a green ammonia plant.
• The project is expected to create about 1,511 jobs in the Thoothukudi area.
• Sembcorp has formed partnerships with Japanese companies Sojitz Corp and Kyushu Electric Power to export green hydrogen from India to Japan.
• The project will utilize Nextchem’s ArcHy digital tool to enhance operational efficiency and minimize costs by analyzing renewable energy production profiles.
• TCMPL will provide specialized engineering services to design all elements of the facility.
• The project represents a significant step towards advancing sustainable energy solutions and reinforces Sembcorp’s commitment to green initiatives in India.

04. What is the theme of World Youth Skills Day 2024?
(a) Youth Skills for Global Innovation
(b) Youth Skills for Technological Advancement
(c) Youth Skills for Peace and Development
(d) Youth Skills for Environmental Sustainability

Ans : C

• World Youth Skills Day is observed annually on July 15.
• The theme for World Youth Skills Day 2024 is “Youth Skills for Peace and Development”.
• The theme highlights the role of youth in peacebuilding and sustainable development.
• The day promotes youth skills development to tackle unemployment and underemployment.

05. Who were appointed as Supreme Court judges, bringing the Supreme Court to its full sanctioned strength of 34 judges? (July 2024)
(a) Justice H N Kotiswar Singh and Justice R Mahadevan
(b) Justice Surya Kant and Justice Hrishikesh Roy
(c) Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J.B. Pardiwala
(d) Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma

Ans : A

• The Centre has notified the appointment of Justices H N Kotishwar Singh and R Mahadevan as judges of the Supreme Court.
• Justice Singh is currently the Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, having taken office on February 15, 2023.
• He is the first Supreme Court judge from Manipur, with his name recommended by the Collegium led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud on July 12.
• Born on March 1, 1963, in Imphal, Justice Singh has a notable legal background, including serving as a senior advocate and additional judge in the Gauhati High Court.
• Justice R Mahadevan is the acting Chief Justice of the Madras High Court, having been appointed a judge there in 2013.
• Mahadevan has a law degree from Madras Law College and has over 25 years of experience specializing in civil, criminal, and tax-related cases.
• With these appointments, Manipur gains representation in the Supreme Court for the first time since gaining statehood over 50 years ago.

06. Which asset management company has announced the launch of the Savings+ product for retail investors?
(a) ICICI Prudential Asset Management
(b) HDFC Asset Management
(c) HDFC Asset Management
(d) Bajaj Finserv Asset Management

Ans : D

• Bajaj Finserv Asset Management has launched the Savings+ product for retail investors.
• The product allows investors to invest surplus cash from savings accounts into Bajaj Finserv AMC Liquid Fund and Overnight Fund.
• The aim is to offer competitive returns while maintaining the liquidity expected from traditional savings accounts.
• Liquid funds delivered a 7.17% return between July 2023 and June 2024, outperforming average savings account interest rates.

07. RBI has recently converted the status of Jio Financial Services from a non-banking financial company to which type of company?
(a) Mutual Fund Company
(b) Core Investment Company
(c) Insurance Company
(d) Commercial Bank

Ans : B

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the conversion of Jio Financial Services from a Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) to a Core Investment Company (CIC).
• This transition involves holding not less than 90 percent of its net assets in the form of investments in equity shares, preference shares, bonds, debentures, debt, or loans in group companies.
• The conversion to a CIC allows Jio Financial Services to focus on investments and the management of its subsidiaries.
• Unlike typical NBFCs, CICs are non-deposit-taking financial companies that invest predominantly in group companies’ equity shares, preference shares, or debt instruments.

08. Which ministry released the final ‘Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure’?
(a) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
(b) Ministry of External Affairs
(c) Ministry of Finance
(d) Ministry of Home Affairs

Ans : C

• The Ministry of Finance released the final ‘Report of India’s G20 Task Force on Digital Public Infrastructure’.
• The Task Force was co-chaired by Shri Amitabh Kant and Shri Nandan Nilekani.
• The report aims to strengthen the foundations of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) worldwide.
• The complete report is available on the Department of Economic Affairs website.

09. In which country did the Serum Institute of India and Oxford University launch the new malaria vaccine R21/Matrix-M?
(a) Nigeria
(b) Ghana
(c) Cote d’Ivoire
(d) Burkina Faso

Ans : C

• The Serum Institute of India (SII) has rolled out the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine in Côte d’Ivoire, marking its official launch in Africa.
• This vaccine, co-developed with the University of Oxford, received WHO approval last year and is known for its high efficacy and affordability.
• SII has produced 25 million doses and aims to scale up production to 100 million doses annually, offering the vaccine for less than $4 per dose.
• The roll-out aims to combat malaria, which still claims four lives a day in Côte d’Ivoire, primarily among small children.
• R21/Matrix-M is the second malaria vaccine available in Sub-Saharan Africa, following RTS,S, and is expected to save tens of thousands of lives annually.
• A total of 656,600 doses have been allocated to initially vaccinate 250,000 children aged 0 to 23 months across 16 regions in Côte d’Ivoire.
• The vaccine has also been authorized for use in Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic, with plans for 15 African countries to introduce malaria vaccines in 2024 with Gavi’s support.

10. Which ministry is hosting the 2024 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum in India?
(a) Ministry of Tourism
(b) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(c) Ministry of Culture
(d) Ministry of Education

Ans : C

• The 2024 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum is hosted by the Ministry of Culture, India.
• It is an integral part of the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee, and in the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Education Programme.
• The event aims to build capacities and explore opportunities for youth in the field of World Heritage.
• The Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology is the venue for the forum.