Daily Current Affairs and GK | 22 and 23 September 2024

Topic: State News/Uttarakhand

1. Uttarakhand government approved a bill to make protesters pay for damage to public property.

• Uttarakhand governor Lieutenant General (Retired) Gurmit Singh gave assent to a bill that would enable full recovery of damages caused to public property during riots or protests.
• Uttarakhand Public and Private Property Damage Recovery Bill was passed by the state assembly in August 2024.
• It would serve as a strong deterrent for potential offenders who damaged public property during strikes, protest demonstrations or riots.
• The main aim of the bill is to stop people from damaging public property during riots.
• Apart from full recovery of the damaged property, a fine of up to Rs 8 lakh will also be imposed upon them.
• Protestors will have to pay also the expenses of the government staff on riot control measures.

Topic: Space and IT

2. According to CEO Elon Musk, SpaceX plans to send five unmanned Starship missions to Mars in the next two years.

• Musk had stated earlier this month that the first Starships to Mars would be launched in two years.
• He now said that the timing for the first crewed missions will depend on success of the uncrewed flights.
• In four years, crewed missions will be launched if the unmanned missions land safely.
• Musk stated that crewed missions will be delayed by an additional two years in the case of difficulties.
• A Starship rocket made a historic landing demonstration in the Indian Ocean in June, surviving a hypersonic return from orbit.
• NASA earlier this year postponed the Artemis 3 mission, which will use SpaceX's Starship to make the first crewed moon landing in fifty years.
• According to NASA, it was originally scheduled for late 2025.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

3. ICMR received U.N. award for successes in non-communicable diseases control.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has received the 2024 UN Inter-Agency Task Force Award.
• The ICMR has been recognized for its contributions to the advancement of multi-sectoral efforts aimed at mental health, non-communicable disease prevention and control, and the broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) connected to NCDs.
• This honor showcases ICMR's creative work in assistive technology, which develops solutions that are affordable, accessible, and long-lasting.
• For people in India who suffer from mental health issues and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), these treatments improve their quality of life.

Topic: International News

4. Two new Indian consulates have been announced by PM Modi in Boston and Los Angeles.

• India will open two new consulates in the US, one in Boston and one in Los Angeles, according to the announcement.
• The consulates will open in order to accommodate the cities' growing Indian-American population.
• The population of Indian Americans has been increasing in both cities in recent years.
• Los Angeles is regarded as the entertainment hub of the US, whereas Boston is thought to be the center of education.
• The PM declared during the Modi and US event in New York on December 22, 2024, the inauguration of new consulates.
• In front of an enthusiastic assembly of almost 13,000 Indian Americans at the Nassau Veterans Coliseum on Long Island, PM Modi made the announcement.

Topic: International News

5. The Cancer Moonshot initiative launched by the Quad countries to reduce the burden of cancer in the Indo-Pacific region.

• On September 22, the United States, Australia, India and Japan launched an unprecedented effort to help end cancer.
• This initiative is part of a broader set of announcements made at the Quad Leaders Summit.
• India will contribute $7.5 million for cancer testing, screening and diagnosis in the Indo-Pacific region.
• India will contribute 40 million vaccines under the Gavi and Quad initiatives.
• This was one of the several announcements made during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US.
• The Quad Cancer Moonshot aims to enhance cancer care in the Indo-Pacific by strengthening health infrastructure, expanding research collaborations, improving data systems, and boosting support for cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and care.
• Cervical cancer, although preventable through vaccination and treatable if detected early, remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Each year, 150,000 women in the Indo-Pacific region die from cervical cancer.
• In 2016, the Cancer Moonshot was launched to accelerate scientific research on cancer.
• Then-President Barack Obama announced the launch of the program during his State of the Union address on January 12, 2016.

Topic: Defence

6. The first-ever tri-services ‘Future Warfare’ course launched by India on 23 September.

• Under the aegis of Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, the Indian Armed Forces will conduct its first tri-services “Future Warfare” course from September 23-27.
• Conducted under the leadership of Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, the course aims to prepare officers for the changing nature of modern warfare.
• The "Future Warfare" course will be conducted irrespective of rank, with officers from the rank of Major General to Major General and their equivalent officers from the Navy and Air Force to be included.
• The course is designed to familiarise participants with both the operational and technical dimensions of modern conflicts.
• The key focus areas will include the emerging nature of warfare, contact and non-contact encounters, kinetic and non-kinetic operations, and psychological and information warfare.
• Additionally, the course will also discuss in depth the impact of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and hypersonic weapons, on future battlefields.

Topic: Science and Technology

7. The US and India have decided to set up a new plant for semiconductor fabrication.

• The new semiconductor fabrication plant is focused on advanced sensing, communication, and power electronics for applications in green energy, next-generation telecommunications, and national security.
• A semiconductor fabrication plant is commonly called a fab. It is a factory for semiconductor device fabrication.
• The goal of the new facility is to produce silicon carbide, gallium nitride, and infrared semiconductors.
• The US Space Force, Bharat Semi, and 3rdiTech have formed a strategic technology alliance that will facilitate it, along with backing from the India Semiconductor Mission.
• For the first time ever, the US Military and India have decided to collaborate on these highly valued technologies.
• The facility becomes the first multi-material fabrication facility for national security in both India and the entire world.
• It will concentrate on high voltage power electronics, advanced communications, and advanced sensing—the three essential pillars for modern war fighting.
• Additionally, there is an enormous increase in demand for these three areas from the commercial sectors of green energy, data centres, telecom infrastructure, and railways.

Topic: MoUs/Agreements

8. A MoU has been signed between FSSAI and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAPA) of Brazil.

• Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and MAPA of Brazil have signed MoU in the area of food safety.
• On the sidelines of the Global Food Regulators Summit in New Delhi, Agriculture and Livestock Minister Carlos Henrique Baqueta Fávaro and CEO of FSSAI, G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, signed MoU.
• The MoU is aimed at improving food safety through technical collaboration and joint projects.
• On the sidelines of the Global Food Regulators Summit, FSSAI also carried out a bilateral meeting with the Bhutan Food and Drug Authority (BFDA).
• The meeting concentrated on the implementation protocol of the agreement signed between India and BFDA in March 2024.
• This Agreement emphasises a shared commitment to improve food safety through facilitating technical cooperation, and streamlining the Food Import Procedure.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

9. India signed the IPEF bloc's agreements on a clean and fair economy.

• India signed the 14-member IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) bloc's agreements to improve cooperation in the field of a clean and fair economy.
• These agreements would help to develop, access, and deploy clean energy and climate-friendly technologies.
• It would catalyze investment and strengthen measures for anti-corruption, tax transparency, etc.
• India signed and exchanged the first-of-its-kind agreements focused on Clean Economy, Fair Economy and the IPEF Overarching arrangement.
• The agreement on clean energy will accelerate the efforts of IPEF partners towards energy security, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions mitigation, and capacity building.
• It will also facilitate investments, project financing, including concessional financing, and joint collaborative projects.
• India has also signed an IPEF agreement, which is an administrative pact to set up an oversight ministerial-level mechanism.

Topic: Sports

10. India won double gold medals in the 2024 Chess Olympiad in Budapest.

• Both men’s and women's teams won gold medals in the 2024 Chess Olympiad.
• In the men’s final round, Arjun Erigaisi defeated Jan Subelj of Slovenia.
• In the women’s section final, the Indian women’s team defeated Azerbaijan 3.5-0.5 to clinch the gold.
• Gukesh D, Praggnanandhaa R, Arjun Erigaisi, Vidit Gujrathi, Pentala Harikrishna, and Srinath Narayanan were part of the Indian team for the open category.
• India’s best performances prior to this year have been the bronze medals in 2022 and 2014.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

11. Dhruvi Patel crowned Miss India Worldwide 2024.

• Dhruvi Patel has been declared the winner of Miss India Worldwide 2024, the longest-running Indian pageant held outside India.
• Dhruvi Patel is a Computer Information Systems student from the US.
• Dhruvi Patel is an Indian-origin Gujarati family who moved to the US as a child.
• This event took place in Edison, New Jersey. The pageant has been held for 31 years.
• The beauty pageant is organized by the New York-based India Festival Committee and is chaired by Indian-Americans Neelam and Dharmatma Saran.
• The winners and runners-up from this competition:

Topic: Summit/Conference/Meeting

12. PM Narendra Modi will attend the sixth annual Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to USA from 21 to 23 September.
• Members of the Quad group are expected to discuss a variety of issues ranging from climate change to critical emerging technologies.
• Ahead of the Quad summit, Prime Minister Modi held a bilateral meeting with President Joe Biden on 21 September.
• He is also hold bilateral meetings with his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
• The Prime Minister's meeting with President Biden provided an opportunity for India and the United States to review and identify new avenues to further deepen the comprehensive global strategic partnership.
• On September 23, Mr Modi will address the 'Summit of the Future' at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
• ‘Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow’ is the theme of thsi summit.

Topic: National Appointments

13. Amar Preet Singh has been appointed as the next Chief of Air Staff.

• Air Marshal Amar Preet Singh will replace Vivek Ram Chaudhari as the Chief of Air Staff.
• Amar Preet Singh was commissioned into the fighter pilot stream of the Indian Air Force in December 1984.
• He will assume the office on September 30.
• He is a qualified flying instructor and an experimental test pilot with more than 5000 hours of flying experience.
• He was also the Project Director (Flight Test) at the National Flight Test Center to look after the flight testing of the Light Combat Aircraft (Tejas).
• He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Topic: Important Days

14. World Alzheimer's Day: 21 September

• World Alzheimer's Day is celebrated every year on 21 September.
• It is observed to raise awareness and challenge the stigma around Alzheimer's disease.
• German psychiatrist and pathologist, Alois Alzheimer described it for the first time in 1906.
• Its symptoms are memory-related difficulties, mood swings, and disorientation.
• It may be inherited genetically or caused by head injuries, depression, and hypertension.