Daily Current Affairs and GK | 5 June 2024

Topic: International News

1. Netherlands emerged as India's 3rd largest export destination in 2023-24.

• During 2023–24, the Netherlands has emerged as India's third largest export destination after the US and UAE.
• India mainly exported petroleum products ($14.29 billion), electrical goods, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals to the Netherlands.
• In the last fiscal year, India’s trade surplus with the Netherlands increased to $17.4 billion from $13 billion.
• The Netherlands has overtaken major export destinations for India like the UK, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Germany.
• In 2023–24, India’s exports to the Netherlands increased by about 3.5 percent to $22.36 billion from $21.61 billion in 2022–23.
• In 2021–22, the Netherlands was the fifth-largest destination for Indian exports.
• India and the Netherlands established diplomatic relations in 1947.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

2. Poet Siddhalinga Pattanashetti has been selected for Gudleppa Hallikeri Award.

• Poet and playwright Siddhalinga Pattanashetti will receive the prestigious Gudleppa Hallikeri Award for 2024 by the Gudleppa Hallikeri Memorial Foundation.
• Prof. Pattanashetti will be the 19th recipient of the award. The award comprises a purse of ₹25,000 and a memento.
• The Gudleppa Hallikeri Award is given to those who have made significant achievements in literature, society, or social service.
• The award will be presented at a function to be held on June 6.
• The award ceremony will be presided over by Chairman of Legislative Council Basavaraj Horatti.

Topic: Biotechnology and Diseases

3. ICMR seeks to provide oral formulation of hydroxyurea for the treatment of sickle cell disease.

• The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) for the formulation of hydroxyurea to treat sickle cell disease among children in India.
• In South Asia, India has the highest cases of sickle cell disease, and more than a million sickle cell-affected individuals reside in India.
• Sickle cell disease is one of the most common monogenic disorders of haemoglobin.
• Hydroxyurea, a myelosuppressive agent, is an effective drug for treating patients with sickle cell disease, and thalassemia.
• The ICMR is the apex biomedical research body in India.
• Healthcare providers initiate hydroxyurea therapy for only symptomatic sickle cell disease.
• The prescribed dose is 10–15 mg per kilogram of body weight after two years of age.

Topic: Indian Economy

4. Total food grain production as per third advance estimate is 3288.52 lakh metric tons.

• The third advance estimate of production of major agricultural crops for the year 2023-24 has been released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
• From the last agricultural year, Zaid season has been separated from Rabi season and included in the 3rd Advance Estimates.
• Hence, this 3rd Advance Estimates of area, production and yield include Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons.
• This estimate is prepared mainly based on information received from State Agricultural Statistics Authorities (SASA).
• The data obtained has been validated and triangulated with remote sensing, weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) reports and information received from other agencies.
• Climatic conditions, past trends, price fluctuations, mandi arrivals etc. have also been considered while preparing the estimates.
• Total food grain production is estimated at 3288.52 lakh metric tonnes, which is slightly less than the food grain production of the year 2022-23.
• While it is 211.00 lakh metric tonnes more than the average food grain production of 3077.52 lakh metric tonnes of the last 5 years (2018-19 to 2022-23).
• Total food grains- 3288.52 lakh metric tons

Topic: MoUs/ Agreements

5. Three MoUs signed by Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya for industry-academia collaboration.

• To enhance the partnership between industry and academics, Jacobs, Nokia, and Plasser India have joined up with Indian Railways' Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara.
• Three MoUs were signed at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi.
• Ashwini Vaishnav, first Chancellor of Gati Shakti University and Minister of Railways, was present at the signing of these MoUs.
• This will enable students to be job ready by their final year at GSV Institute.
• The MoU with Nokia will focus on collaboration with research in the area of 5G/6G communications, targeting air, land and maritime transportation use cases including standards development, smart factory/automation, AI/GenAI lab.
• The MoU with Plasser India will provide an opportunity for collaboration in the area of track technology, sharing of industry experience and training for members of each party.
• The MoU with Jacobs will promote advancement in research, teaching and training activities related to transportation, rail and semiconductor sectors.
• In 2022, Gati Shakti University (GSV) Vadodara was established to prepare the best manpower and talent for the entire transportation and logistics sectors.

Topic: National News

6. NDA got absolute majority, BJP emerges as the largest party with 240 seats.

• With the winning of 292 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-led NDA gained an absolute majority.
• BJP alone has won 240 seats. The I.N.D.I.A block has got 233 seats. Others have won 18 seats in the lower house of parliament.
• Prominent candidates who won include Prime Minister and BJP leader Narendra Modi from Varanasi, Union Minister Amit Shah from Gandhinagar, Om Birla from Kota, Arjun Ram Meghwal from Bikaner, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from Jodhpur, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia from Guna.
• Out of 80 constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, Samajwadi Party has won 37 seats, while BJP has won 33, Congress six and Rashtriya Lok Dal two.
• Pushpendra Saroj of Samajwadi Party wins Kaushambi parliamentary seat and become the India's youngest MP.
• Winners on all 542 seats:

(Source: DD News)

Topic: Important Days

7. World Environment Day 2024: 05 June

• Every year on 05 June, World Environment Day is observed.
• In 1972, United Nations adopted 5 June as World Environment Day at Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.
• In 1973, the first World Environment Day was celebrated.
• The host for World Environment Day 2024 is Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
• The theme for World Environment Day 2024 is “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience.”
• The year 2024 will mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.
• According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, 40% of the Earth's land has been degraded, directly affecting half the world's population.
• Every year, more than 400 million tonnes of plastic is manufactured globally. 50% of it is single-use plastic.
• Microplastics are tiny plastic particles up to 5mm in diameter.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: National News

8. BJP gets majority in Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik lost after 24 years.

• BJP got 78 seats in the 147-member House of Odisha.
• The BJD was in power in Odisha since 2000. It has won 51 Assembly seats.
• The Congress has won 14 Assembly seats and stood in the third position.
• In the 2019 Assembly elections, BJD won 113 seats while BJP got 23 seats and Congress 9 seats.
• BJP has secured 20 seats in the Odisha Lok Sabha elections out of the 21.
• The BJD’s defeat also prevented Patnaik from becoming the longest-serving Chief Minister.
• In the Andhra Pradesh Assembly election, the Telugu Desam Party bagged 135 of the 175 Assembly seats.
• The Jana Sena Party secured 21 seats, the YSR Congress Party secured 11 seats and the BJP got eight seats.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

9. Mumbai’s Super Cop Krishna Prakash received the Hindi Sahitya Bharati Award.

• Krishna Prakash, head of Mumbai Police’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Force One, has received the prestigious Annual Hindi Sahitya Bharati Award.
• The award has been given during the Sab Me Ram Shashwat Shri Ram multicultural festival in Mumbai.
• The Hindi Sahitya Bharati initiative brings together intellectuals on a common platform to enhance cultural and literary efforts.
• Krishna Prakash is a two-time Guinness World Record holder for initiating the maximum number of letters through postcards to Lord Ram.

Topic: Personality in News

10. Helen Mary Roberts became the first female brigadier in the Pakistan Army from a minority community.

• Dr Helen Mary Roberts, serving in the Pakistan Army Medical Corps, has created history by becoming the first woman from the Christian and minority community to attain the rank of Brigadier in the history of the country.
• Helen was among the Pakistan Army officers who were promoted as Brigadier and full Colonel by the selection board.
• With 26 years of experience, Brigadier Dr. Helen is a senior pathologist serving in the Pakistan Army.
• According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2021, the country is 96.47% Muslim, followed by 2.14% Hindu, 1.27% Christian, 0.09% Ahmadiyya Muslim and 0.02% others.

Topic: National News

11. An optical fibre-based system will be installed by Railways to detect elephants crossing tracks.

• Optical fiber based intrusion detection system (IDS) will soon be installed by the Railways on the 33 km long elephant-infested route between Kottekkad and Madukkarai.
• It is a part of its latest measure to prevent elephant deaths on the tracks.
• Southern Railway is installing this system for the first time after its successful implementation in four divisions of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
• The work would be carried out on a war footing at a cost of Rs 15.4 crore.
• The optical fibre network will detect the presence of large and small animals through vibrations, and send real-time alerts to intrusion monitoring cells, station masters and loco pilots.
• There will be no cameras for the IDS. It will rely on acoustics and optics.
• The exact location of elephants will be given to loco pilots and station masters.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

12. FSSAI and APEDA developed the Unified India Organic logo.

• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have jointly developed “Unified India Organic”.
• It will replace the India Organic and Jaivik Bharat logos.
• The new logo's main aim is uniformity in organic product regulations.
• India Organic denotes NPOP compliance, while Jaivik Bharat was for FSSAI-certified organics.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) is an Indian export trade government body.

Topic: International Appointments

13. Halla Tomasdottir became the new president of Iceland.

• Halla Tomasdottir, a businesswoman and investor, has won Iceland’s presidential election.
• She has received 34.3% of the vote and defeated former Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir.
• She will replace President Gudni Th. Johannesson, who did not participate in re-election after two four-year terms.
• Iceland is a Nordic island nation located in the North Atlantic, with a population of 384,000.
• Vigdis Finbogadottir was the first elected female president of Iceland.
• Halla Tomasdottir is the co-founder of Audur Capital.