Current Affairs July 2024
National News
Santosh Kumar Gangwar Appointed Governor of Jharkhand
- Former Union Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar was sworn in as the 12th Governor of Jharkhand on July 31, succeeding C.P. Radhakrishnan.
Banks Collect ₹2,331 Crore in Penalties for Minimum Balance Non-Maintenance
- Eleven public sector banks, excluding SBI, collected ₹2,331 crore in FY2024 for non-maintenance of minimum balance, a 25.63% rise from FY2023.
Preeti Sudan Appointed Chairman of UPSC
- Preeti Sudan, a retired IAS officer, was appointed Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission, succeeding Manoj Soni.
UP Assembly Passes Anti-Conversion Bill
- The Uttar Pradesh Assembly passed an amendment enhancing punishment for forced religious conversions to life imprisonment in certain cases.
Science and Technology
Periyar Tiger Reserve Installs Wind Turbine for Conservation
- The Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala introduced wind turbines to power real-time monitoring cameras and communication systems, replacing unreliable solar setups.
SEBI Launches ‘SEVA’ AI Chatbot for Investors
- SEBI unveiled ‘SEVA,’ an AI-powered chatbot providing assistance on securities markets and grievance redressal.
NATS 2.0 Portal Launched by Dharmendra Pradhan
- The revamped National Apprenticeship and Training Scheme portal aims to enhance employability skills, with ₹100 crore disbursed in stipends.
Sports
Ashwini Ponnappa Retires from Olympics
- Indian badminton veteran Ashwini Ponnappa announced her Olympic retirement after participating in the Paris 2024 Olympics.
India’s Olympic Contingent Largest Ever
- India sent a record 117 athletes to the Paris Olympics 2024, securing two bronze medals in shooting within the first three days.
BFI Sets Up National Basketball Academy
- The Basketball Federation of India established a National Basketball Academy in collaboration with Corvuss American Academy in Mumbai.
Business and Economy
Aditya Birla Group Ventures into Jewellery with ‘Indriya’
- The group launched its jewellery retail brand, Indriya, focusing on blending tradition with modern aesthetics.
Cross-Border Payment Aggregator Licenses Issued
- RBI granted licenses to Amazon Pay, Adyen, and BillDesk, enabling facilitation of international remittances and transactions in India.
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro Re-elected as President
- Nicolas Maduro secured a third term, governing Venezuela from 2025 to 2031.
Miscellaneous
TIME Names Three Indian Destinations Among ‘World’s Greatest Places of 2024’
- Recognized were: Museum of Solutions, Mumbai; Manam Chocolate, Hyderabad; and NAAR, Himachal Pradesh.
Parle Tops India’s FMCG Brand List
- Parle emerged as the most chosen FMCG brand in India for the 12th consecutive year, according to Kantar’s Brand Footprint report.
MCQs for July 2024
1. Who succeeded C.P. Radhakrishnan as the Governor of Jharkhand?
a) Manoj Soni
b) Dharmendra Pradhan
c) Santosh Kumar Gangwar
d) Preeti Sudan
2. What is the name of SEBI’s AI-powered chatbot launched in July 2024?
a) SEVA
b) GRIEV
c) BOTSEC
d) CHATBIZ
3. Which Indian badminton player announced their Olympic retirement in July 2024?
a) Jwala Gutta
b) Tanisha Crasto
c) Ashwini Ponnappa
d) P.V. Sindhu
4. What energy source has the Periyar Tiger Reserve introduced to power its conservation efforts?
a) Hydro power
b) Wind turbine
c) Solar panel
d) Geothermal energy
5. Which jewellery brand was launched by the Aditya Birla Group?
a) Indriya
b) Shuddhi
c) Ratna
d) Svarna
6. How many athletes are part of India’s largest-ever Olympic contingent in Paris 2024?
a) 105
b) 110
c) 117
d) 125
7. TIME recognized which of the following Indian destinations as a ‘World’s Greatest Place of 2024’?
a) Jaipur Literature Festival
b) Museum of Solutions, Mumbai
c) Bandra-Worli Sea Link
d) Kovalam Beach
8. What is the enhanced punishment for forced religious conversions under the amended UP bill?
a) 10 years imprisonment
b) 15 years imprisonment
c) Life imprisonment
d) 25 years imprisonment
