Daily Current Affairs- 29 June 2024

Daily Current Affairs- 29th June 2024

NATIONAL

Thales Inks Pact with Adani Defence to Manufacture 70mm Rockets In India

• Adani Defence and Thales Group have agreed to manufacture 70mm rockets, In a major fillip to the government's local manufacturing push, Adani Defence & Aerospace - the defence arm of the Adani Group - has signed an agreement with the Thales Group to manufacture 70mm rockets in India. 

Central Railway Has Installed a Floating Solar Plant

• The Central Railway has successfully installed a floating solar plant with a capacity of 10 MWp in Igatpuri Lake, located in the Western Ghats. This pioneering initiative marks the first of its kind by the Indian Railways, aimed at harnessing renewable energy sources to contribute towards a greener Earth, according to senior railway officials. 

Bioplastic Park to be set up in Uttar Pradesh Lakhimpur Kheri district

• The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pardesh has decided to set up a bioplastic park in the state to deal with the problem of environmental pollution caused by the pertoleum derivative based plastic products in the state. The chief minister has directed that the project shall be completed as soon as possible.
• The bioplastic park to be developed on 1000 hectares of land will be constructed in Kumbhi village, Gola Gokarnnath tehsil, Lakhimpur Kheri district. The project will be developed with an estimated cost of Rs 2000 crore. 

SPORTS

Shafali Verma creates history by scoring record breaking Double Century in Women’s Test Cricket

• Shafali Verma scored a record-breaking double century that propelled India to the highest-ever single-day total in Test history during the one-off match against South Africa. Shafali's magnificent 205 off just 194 balls set the stage for a day of cricket where numerous records were shattered.
• Shafali scored 205 runs off just 194 balls, Broke the record for fastest double century in women’s Test cricket, Previous record was of Annabel Sutherland (Australia) in 248 balls. 

APPOINTMENS & RESIGNATIONS

IFS officer Vikram Misri appointed as the next Foreign Secretary

• The 1989 batch Indian Foreign Service IFS officer Vikram Misri has been appointed as the next Foreign Secretary. He will succeed Vinay Mohan Kwatra whose tenure is ending on 14th of next month. Mr Misri is currently serving as Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat. He has served as Indian Envoy in China, Myanmar and Spain. Mr Misri has the rare distinction of serving as Private Secretary to three Prime Ministers, Inder Kumar Gujral in 1997, Manmohan Singh in 2012 and Narendra Modi in 2014. 

Bank of Baroda appoints tennis sensation Nagal as brand endorser

• Bank of Baroda has signed tennis player, Sumit Nagal, as its brand endorser. The bank stated that this move was in alignment with its philosophy to support emerging talented and ambitious Indian sportspersons who compete with the best on the world stage. 

IMPORTANT DAYS

National Statistics Day :India

• Government of India has designated June 29 every year - birth anniversary of Professor (late) Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis as “Statistics Day” in the category of Special Days to be celebrated at the national level.
• Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis was an Indian scientist and statistician. He is best remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure, and for being one of the members of the first Planning Commission of free India. He made pioneering studies in anthropometry in India. 

International Day of the Tropics

• The International Day of the Tropics is celebrated on June 29 every year to highlight the challenges and opportunities nations of the Tropics face, Tropics are a region of the Earth, roughly defined as the area between the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Although topography and other factors contribute to climatic variation, tropical locations are typically warm and experience little seasonal change in day-to-day temperature.
• On June 14th, 2016 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that declared June 29th as the International Day of the Tropics. The UN chose the date June 29th to mark the anniversary of the inaugural “State of Tropics Report.” The report was launched in 2014 by Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi from Myanmar (Burma). 

RANKING

Global Liveability index 2024

• Global Liveability Index / Ranking is a yearly assessment published by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), ranking 172 global cities (previously 140) for their urban quality of life based on assessments of stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure.
• Austria's capital, Vienna, is ranked the most liveable city once again in 2024, the city topped in 2023, and 2022 also. 

BANKING AND ECONOMY

ADB, AHFL Sign $60 Million Deal to Expand Women’s Access to Housing Loans in India

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $60 million (in Indian rupee equivalent) nonconvertible debentures financing agreement, $30 million of which is to help Aadhar Housing Finance Limited (AHFL) provide housing loans to women and address the shortage of financing in the low-income and affordable housing segment in India.