Current Affairs 18 July 2024

Current Affairs 18 July 2024

01. Who is the author of the book ‘Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi’?
(a) Arundhati Roy
(b) Chetan Bhagat
(c) Amish Tripathi
(d) Dr R Balasubramaniam

• Dr R Balasubramaniam is the author of the book ‘Power Within: The Leadership Legacy of Narendra Modi’.
• The book explores Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership journey.
• It interprets Modi’s leadership through both Western and Indic lenses.
• The book aims to provide a roadmap for those aspiring to a life of public service.
• Arundhati Roy: Known for her books like ‘The God of Small Things’, but not related to this book.
• Chetan Bhagat: Popular for contemporary Indian fiction, not the author of this book.
• Amish Tripathi: Famous for his mythological fiction series, not connected with this book.
• Prime Minister’s Interaction: PM Modi met Dr R Balasubramaniam and signed a copy of the book.
• Book’s Purpose: Aims to provide leadership insights and a guide for public service aspirants.

02. Who has been re-appointed as the Congress’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha?
(a) Kodikkunnil Suresh
(b) Gaurav Gogoi
(c) Manickam Tagore
(d) Mohammad Jawed

• Gaurav Gogoi has been re-appointed as the Congress’s Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha.
• Gaurav Gogoi is a three-term Congress MP from Assam’s Jorhat.
• Kodikkunnil Suresh will continue as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
• Sonia Gandhi, Congress’ parliamentary party chairperson, announced the leadership team for the Lower House.
• Kodikkunnil Suresh: Senior Kerala MP who continues as the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha.
• Manickam Tagore: Virudhunagar MP appointed as one of the party’s whips.
• Mohammad Jawed: Kishanganj MP appointed as one of the party’s whips.
• Role of Deputy Leader: The Deputy Leader assists in managing the party’s legislative agenda and strategy in the Lok Sabha.
• Congress Leadership: Guided by LoP Rahul Gandhi, the Congress aims to champion the people’s causes in the Lok Sabha.

03. Where will the Women’s Asia Cup 2024 be held?
(a) Bangladesh
(b) India
(c) Sri Lanka
(d) Pakistan

• The Women’s Asia Cup 2024 will kick off on July 19, 2024.
• Sri Lanka secured the hosting rights for this edition of the tournament.
• The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, will participate as defending champions.
• The tournament will be played in the T20 format, with a total of 15 matches.
• Teams participating include full-member nations: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, along with Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, and UAE.
• The opening match on July 19 features Nepal against UAE, and India will face Pakistan on the same day in Dambulla, Sri Lanka.
• The semi-finals are scheduled for July 26, with the final taking place on July 28.
• Group A: India, Pakistan, Nepal, the UAE.
• Group B: Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, and Malaysia.

04. In which country was India’s first overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra inaugurated?
(a) Sri Lanka
(b) Mauritius
(c) Maldives
(d) Seychelles

• India’s first overseas Jan Aushadhi Kendra was inaugurated in Mauritius by External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.
• The inauguration took place during Jaishankar’s official visit to Mauritius.
• Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth of Mauritius was present at the inauguration ceremony.
• The Jan Aushadhi Kendra in Mauritius is part of the India-Mauritius health partnership project.
• It aims to provide cost-effective, Made-in-India medicines to enhance public healthcare in Mauritius.
• In addition to the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, Jaishankar also launched a modern medical facility, Mediclinic, in Grand Bois, Mauritius, built with Indian grant assistance.
• This facility is expected to provide secondary healthcare services to approximately 16,000 people in the Grand Bois area, further strengthening India-Mauritius bilateral ties in healthcare and beyond.

05. Who won the bronze medal in the Sabre category at the Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Championship 2024?
(a) Shreya Gupta
(b) Saunders Nicole
(c) Hardge Gala
(d) Juliet Mind

• Shreya Gupta is a prominent fencer from Jammu and Kashmir.
• She won her first-ever individual international medal by clinching the bronze in the Sabre category.
• The event took place at the Commonwealth Junior and Cadet Championship 2024 in Christchurch, New Zealand.
• In the table of 16, Shreya defeated Saunders Nicole of England with a score of 15-3.
• She secured her bronze medal by winning against Hardge Gala of Australia with a score of 15-13.
• Shreya lost in the semifinals to Juliet Mind of Singapore by a close margin of 15-11.
• She has previously won team event bronze medals at the Commonwealth Cadet and Junior Fencing Championships in 2018 and 2022 and has participated in about 15 international fencing events.

06. Which country has announced a visa-free policy for 35 European countries starting from July 19, 2024?
(a) Russia
(b) Belarus
(c) Ukraine
(d) Poland

• Belarus has announced a visa-free policy for 35 European countries starting from July 19, 2024.
• The policy allows citizens of these countries, including members of the European Union and the UK, to stay in Belarus for up to 30 days at a time without a visa.
• This initiative aims to promote openness, peace, and facilitate personnel exchanges between Belarus and European nations.
• The visa-free access is applicable through road and rail checkpoints.
• President Alexander Lukashenko has supported this move to strengthen Belarus’s ties with European neighbors.
• The policy extends a previous arrangement that allowed visa-free entry for citizens of Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia since 2022.
• Holders of special passports like diplomatic and official passports are not covered under this visa-free policy.

07. Which disease is the mRNA vaccine given to the Asian elephant Tess at Houston Zoo designed to combat?
(a) Elephant pox
(b) Elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV)
(c) Elephant tuberculosis
(d) Elephant foot rot

• The mRNA vaccine was given to Tess, a 40-year-old Asian elephant at Houston Zoo, to combat elephant endotheliotropic herpesvirus (EEHV).
• EEHV is the leading cause of death in Asian elephant calves in captivity, causing lethal hemorrhagic disease.
• The virus was first discovered in 1990 and scientifically described in 1999.
• The vaccine, similar to Covid-19 vaccines, aims to boost immunity in young elephants, preventing serious illness and death.
• Researchers believe EEHV is transmitted among elephants through their trunks.
• EEHV has a mortality rate of about 70% in symptomatic elephants and has caused deaths in various zoos, including Dublin, Chester, Melbourne, and Zurich.
• The mRNA vaccine was developed in partnership with Houston Zoo, Baylor College of Medicine, and the Dallas-based company Colossal, with plans to inoculate more elephants if Tess shows no side effects.

08. What is the name of the job training and stipend scheme announced by the Maharashtra government targeting young men?
(a) Majhi Kanya Bhagyashree
(b) Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin
(c) Shiv Bhojan Yojana
(d) Ladka Bhau Yojana

• Ladka Bhau Yojana is a job training and stipend scheme for youth in Maharashtra.
• It targets men who are class 12 pass, diploma holders, and bachelor’s degree holders.
• Class 12 pass will receive Rs 6,000, diploma holders Rs 8,000, and degree holders Rs 10,000 during their training.
• The apprenticeship will be funded by the state government to benefit both the candidates and the industry.

09. Under which operation has the Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 84,119 children in the last seven years?
(a) Operation Smile
(b) Operation Muskan
(c) Operation Nanhe Farishtey
(d) Operation Surakshit Bachhey

• Operation Nanhe Farishtey is the mission under which the RPF has rescued 84,119 children over the past seven years.
• The operation focuses on rescuing children in need of care and protection across various Indian Railway Zones.
• Launched in 2018, the operation has addressed issues of runaway, missing, left-behind, destitute, kidnapped, mentally challenged, and street children.
• The RPF’s consistent efforts have resulted in a significant number of children being rescued and protected each year.

10. How many new exoplanets has NASA recently discovered, bringing the total number of confirmed planets beyond our solar system to 5,502?
(a) 3
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 6

• NASA announced the discovery of six new exoplanets.
• The names of the exoplanets are HD 36384 b, TOI-198 b, TOI-2095 b, TOI-2095 c, TOI-4860 b, and MWC 758 c.
• This discovery brings the total number of confirmed exoplanets to 5,502.
• HD 36384 b is a super-Jupiter orbiting an M giant star nearly 40 times the size of our Sun.
• TOI-198 b is a potentially rocky planet on the inner edge of its star’s habitable zone.
• TOI-2095 b and TOI-2095 c are hot super-Earths orbiting the same M dwarf star.
• MWC 758 c is a giant protoplanet orbiting a young star with a protoplanetary disk, providing insights into early planetary formation.