Current Affairs One - Liner : 6th June 2024

The Haryana Clean Air Project for Sustainable Development, a INR 10,000 crore initiative funded by the World Bank, was announced on June 4, 2024. The project aims to improve air quality in Haryana through various interventions, including enhancing air quality monitoring, promoting cleaner vehicles and clean energy in industries.

The Rajaji Raghati Biosphere (RRB) is India’s first private biosphere within the Rajaji National Park. Led by Jai Dhar Gupta and Vijay Dhasmana, this 35-acre project focuses on reviving rare native trees and protecting the area. The land, initially barren, has been transformed through removal of non-native trees, land contouring for water retention, and planting of native species.
In the recent elections in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, the ‘None of the Above’ (NOTA) option set a new record with 2.18 lakh votes. This surge came after the Congress candidate withdrew his nomination and joined the BJP, leading the Congress party to urge its voters to vote for NOTA.

NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore made history by being the first to fly aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The crewed flight launched on June 5, 2024, and docked with the International Space Station (ISS) on June 6, 2024.

In FY24, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) imposed penalties on regulated entities (REs) amounting to ₹86.11 crore, more than double the ₹40.39 crore in FY23. The penalties were due to non-compliance with RBI’s rules and regulations. The number of penalized REs increased from 211 in FY23 to 281 in FY24.
Edelweiss Tokio Life Insurance rebranded itself as Edelweiss Life Insurance on June 3, 2024. The rebranding reflects the company’s commitment to innovation, simplicity, and a customer-centric approach.
On 4th June 2024, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved Cintra’s acquisition of approximately 24% stake in both IRB Infrastructure Trust and MMK Toll Road Pvt Ltd. This is a notable event in the infrastructure sector.

The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) you mentioned is at 57.5. Despite the decline, this figure still indicates an expansion in the manufacturing sector as it’s above 50. However, PMIs in other regions like China and the US have shown a contraction or no change.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 5th June 2024 at the Armed Forces Medical College in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The MoU aims to set up a dedicated Tele MANAS cell for the Armed Forces to address their unique mental health needs.

The International Day for the Fight Against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is marked on June 5th. It’s an initiative by the FAO to highlight the issue of IUU fishing, which leads to a loss of 11–26 million tonnes of fish annually, valued at US$10–23 billion.

Sushil Kumar Singh, an IRSME officer, has been appointed as the Chairperson of the Deendayal Port Authority on June 1, 2024. He will serve until January 31, 2027, or until further orders. He succeeds S K Mehta and is currently a joint secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.
Rakesh Mohan Joshi, a renowned international trade expert, has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) on June 5, 2024. He is a distinguished academician with affiliations to several multilateral organizations.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has been re-elected as an MP from the Kota parliamentary seat. This makes him the first presiding officer in 20 years to be re-elected to the Lower House.
Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al Sabah was officially appointed as the Crown Prince of Kuwait on June 2, 2024. He has previously served as the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Kuwait. The announcement was made by Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), India’s premier Telecom R&D centre, won the UN’s WSIS 2024 “Champion” Award for their project “Mobile-Enabled Disaster Resilience through Cell Broadcast Emergency Alerting”. The award was presented at the WSIS+20 Forum 2024 held in Geneva, Switzerland from 27th to 31st May 2024.

Questions:

1 Who were the astronauts that made history by being the first to fly aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft?

2 Where is the Rajaji Raghati Biosphere located?