Current Affairs One - Liner : 25th July 2024

The Indian government approved the construction of a new airport in Parandur, Tamil Nadu, on July 9, 2024. This greenfield airport is expected to handle 100 million passengers annually and will be built on 4,000 acres of land at a cost of Rs 32,000 crore.

On July 24th, 2024, the Union Culture Minister unveiled a commemorative stamp in honor of the legendary singer Mukesh, marking his 100th birth anniversary. The event took place at Akashwani Rang Bhawan, All India Radio, New Delhi, and celebrated Mukesh’s remarkable career and unforgettable voice.
The Department of Posts has released the beta version of the Digital Postal Index Number (DIGIPIN), a standardized, geo-coded addressing system. It simplifies addressing solutions for citizen-centric delivery of public and private services. The system divides the entire country into 4mX4m units, each assigned a unique 10-digit alphanumeric code based on latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates.
Bihar has passed a new law to tackle paper leaks and cheating in government exams. The bill introduces strict punishments, including imprisonment and hefty fines, for those involved in such malpractices. It also sets up a special investigation team to probe these cases.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $215.6 million for the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to implement Financing Mitigation and Adaptation Projects (FMAP) in Indian micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These projects aim to help MSMEs adopt low-emission and climate-resilient technologies.
Paytm partnered with Axis Bank to provide POS solutions and EDC devices (card machines) to the bank’s merchant network. This collaboration aims to optimize business operations and elevate customer satisfaction. The integrated software in these devices offers services like inventory management, invoice generation, promotions, sales tracking, and more. The partnership was announced on July 23, 2024.
TerraPay, a global money movement company, has partnered with Swift to enable seamless account-to-wallet payments. Financial institutions can now directly send money to over 2.1 billion mobile wallets worldwide using their existing Swift connectivity. This integration enhances the cross-border payments experience for businesses and consumers, ensuring speed, efficiency, and end-to-end transparency from account to wallet.

In July 2024, India’s business activity surged to a three-month high, driven by robust demand, especially in the services sector. Additionally, manufacturing also picked up momentum, leading to companies hiring at the fastest pace in over 18 years.

On July 22, 2024, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully carried out the second experimental flight to demonstrate Air Breathing Propulsion Technology. The propulsion systems were symmetrically mounted on either side of a RH-560 Sounding rocket, which was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

The DIKSHA Foundation Learning Portal was implemented to provide quality e-content for school education in States/UTs. It’s fully funded through the National Component of the Samagra Siksha scheme and managed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). The platform has a federated architecture, with 35 states/UTs having their own tenant on DIKSHA.
The integrated online training platform, iGOT, was launched by the Government of India to promote capacity development among civil services. It aims to address the learning needs of officials through online, face-to-face, and blended learning.

The Jiyo Parsi Scheme aims to address the population decline of the Parsi community in India. It provides medical assistance, child care, and elderly support to Parsi couples. Since its launch in 2013-14, over 400 Parsi children have been born through this initiative.
Under the Scholarships for Higher Education for Young Achievers Scheme (SHREYAS), from 2014-15 to 2023-24, a total expenditure of Rs. 2708.64 crore was incurred for 97,928 beneficiaries from the Scheduled Castes (SCs). Additionally, Rs. 585.02 crore was spent for 38,011 beneficiaries from the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and Economically Backward Classes (EBCs).

France has been provisionally chosen to host the 2030 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. The French Alps bid, which was put forward as the International Olympic Committee’s preferred vote in June, was approved on 24th July 2024. The proposed dates for the Olympic Winter Games are 1–17 February 2030, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games from 1–10 March 2030.

India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested the second phase of its Ballistic Missile Defence System on July 24, 2024. The test took place at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha. This system is capable of defending against hostile missiles with a range of 5,000 kilometers.

World Embryologist Day is celebrated annually on July 25. It marks the birth of Louise Brown, the world’s first test tube baby, in 1978. Dr. Robert Geoffrey Edwards, Dr. Patrick Christopher Steptoe, and Nurse Jean Marian Purdy played pivotal roles in this groundbreaking achievement. The theme for World Embryologist Day 2024 is "Advancing Reproductive Technologies: Innovations and Impact."

Nita Ambani, founder of the Reliance Foundation, has been re-elected unanimously as an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from India at the 142nd IOC session in Paris.
Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar’s military-government, has taken on the role of acting president to replace army-appointed Vice President Myint Swe. Myint Swe had been serving in this capacity since the February 2021 coup.
Cmde D.K. Murali, a retired Indian Navy officer, assumed the role of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL) on July 19, 2024. BECIL is a Mini Ratna Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Shah Rukh Khan was honored with customised gold coins by the Grevin Museum in Paris on July 24, 2024. He became the first Bollywood actor to receive this prestigious recognition. Additionally, Shah Rukh Khan will be awarded the career achievement award at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland on August 10, 2024.

Questions:

1 Which organization is responsible for managing the DIKSHA Foundation Learning Portal?

2 Which type of rocket was used for the experimental flight of the Air Breathing Propulsion Technology?