Current Affairs One - Liner : 30th June & 1st July 2024

The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 was enacted to stop cheating in public exams like UPSC and NEET. It became effective on June 21st, 2024, targeting unauthorized access to exam halls and leaking confidential exam information.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) recently approved a ₹56 crore fund for the next phase of the conservation plan for the Great Indian Bustard (GIB) and Lesser Florican. This plan aims to improve the population of these critically endangered birds.
As of July 1, three new criminal laws have been implemented, focusing on various aspects of public safety and legal reforms. These laws include measures to enhance penalties for certain offenses, streamline judicial processes for faster trials, and introduce stricter enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance and deterrence.

Starting tomorrow, July 3rd, 2024, Japan will be issuing a new series of banknotes featuring new designs and enhanced security measures. These will be the first banknotes in the world to incorporate holographic technology that creates a 3D effect on the portraits. The new notes will also have larger numerals to aid visually impaired people.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed a monetary penalty of ₹29.60 lakh on The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC) for non-compliance with certain directions related to cards. Specifically, HSBC failed to ensure that there was no negative amortization while computing the Minimum Payment Due in certain credit card accounts.

Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan signed an MoU on June 30, 2024 in Bhopal to implement the Parbati-Kalisindh-Chambal river linking project. It aims to provide water to 26 districts and irrigate nearly 5.6 lakh hectares of land. The project is expected to address water scarcity concerns in both states.
On June 29, 2024, the Gujarat government signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with software giants IBM and Microsoft, along with the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) in Gandhinagar, to promote the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in the state.

In 2023, India made remarkable strides in biodiversity discovery. A total of 641 new species were added to its fauna and flora. Among these, 442 species were entirely new, while 199 species were newly recorded within the country. Additionally, India expanded its plant database by including 339 taxa, comprising 326 species and 13 infraspecific taxa. Notably, 171 taxa are new to science, and 168 taxa represent new distributional records from India.

Shafali Verma, India’s dynamic opener, recently shattered records by achieving the fastest double-century in women’s Test cricket. During a match against South Africa, she scored an impressive 205 runs off just 197 balls.

India's Navy developed SEBEX 2, a powerful non-nuclear explosive. It packs twice the punch of TNT, enhancing firepower without added weight. This innovation by Economic Explosives Limited marks a leap in India's military tech.

World Allergy Week is held annually from June 23 to 29. This year's theme, "Managing allergic diseases amidst environmental changes," aimed to educate people on the impact of climate and environment on allergies.
India celebrated GST Day on July 1st, 2024. This day marks the anniversary of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation, a major reform that simplified the tax system by replacing multiple indirect taxes with a single one. The theme for this year, is "Sashakt Vyapar Samagra Vikas" (Empowered Trade Overall Growth).
July 1st is indeed National Postal Worker Day, a day dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the invaluable service of postal workers. The theme for National Postal Worker Day 2024 was "Honoring the Backbone of Communication."
July 1st is celebrated as Chartered Accountants Day, specifically in India. It marks the anniversary of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) which was established in 1949. The ICAI is the world's second-largest professional accounting body.
On July 1st, we celebrate National U.S. Postage Stamp Day. This day commemorates the introduction of postage stamps in the United States. The first adhesive postage stamps were issued in 1847, valued at five and ten cents.

Challa Sreenivasulu Setty has been selected as the next chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI) by the Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB). Setty, who has worked at SBI for 35 years, will succeed the current chairman, Dinesh Khara, whose term ends on August 28.
General Upendra Dwivedi did indeed take charge as the 30th Chief of the Indian Army on June 30th. He succeeded General Manoj Pande who retired after a long and distinguished career.
Ravi Agrawal, an IRS officer from the 1988 batch, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The CBDT is the administrative body for the Income Tax Department in India.

Former Lok Sabha MP from Sikkim, Pahalwan Subba, passed away at the age of 90 on Thursday in a hospital near Gangtok after a long illness, as confirmed by his family. Subba, who had a successful political tenure, won the 1980 election on a Sikkim Janata Party (SJP) ticket and served as an MP until 1984.

Questions:

1 Who has been selected as the next chairman of State Bank of India (SBI) by the Financial Services Institution Bureau (FSIB)?

2 Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?