Tnpsc Current Affairs in English – 2nd July 2024

1. Recently, who has been appointed as the new president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI)?

A. Yuvraj Singh

B. Kapil Dev

C. Sachin Tendulkar

D. Neeraj Chopra

• Kapil Dev, renowned Indian cricketer and avid amateur golfer, has been elected as the new president of the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI). Kapil Dev, captain of India’s 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning team, served as vice president and member of PGTI’s governing body. Known as the “Haryana Hurricane,” he played a key role in promoting professional golf in India since PGTI’s inception in 2006, organizing tournaments nationwide.

2. Which district of Uttar Pradesh is known as the ‘City of Knives’?

A. Rampur

B. Saharanpur

C. Mirzapur

D. Raebareli

• Rampur district, Uttar Pradesh, known as the “City of Knives,” has crafted the renowned Rampuri chaku since the 18th century. These blades, symbols of artisanship and royal patronage, are made from high-quality steel, paired with handles of bone, horn, or ivory, intricately carved into pieces of art. Despite a 1990s ban on longer blades to reduce violence, Rampur artisans adapt legally, preserving their craft’s legacy.

3. Recently, which country has started ‘Rhisotope Project’ to protect rhinos?

A. South Africa

B. Zimbabwe

C. New Zealand

D. India

• South African scientists launched the “Rhisotope” project, injecting radioactive material into live rhino horns to combat poaching. The aim is to make the horns detectable at borders and toxic for consumption. Involving 20 rhinos, the process includes drilling, inserting radioisotopes, and adding microdots and chips.

4. Which organization recently witnessed ‘Gigantic Jets’ over the Himalayan Mountains?

A. JAXA

B. ISRO

C. NASA

D. CNSA

• NASA recently observed gigantic jets over the Himalayan Mountains. These rare and powerful lightning phenomena extend from the top of a cloud to the edge of space, differing from regular cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning. Documented only in the 21st century, the bottoms of gigantic jets resemble blue jets, while the tops look like red sprites. This discovery adds to our understanding of atmospheric phenomena.

5. Raimona National Park, recently seen in news due to an antelope-like mammal ‘mainland serow’, is located in which state?

A. Odisha

B. Assam

C. Madhya Pradesh

D. Sikkim

• A mainland serow, a mammal between a goat and an antelope, was sighted at 96 meters above sea level in Raimona National Park, Assam, near human habitation. Documented by a team of scientists, this finding was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa. The serow, usually found at 200-3,000 meters in the India-Bhutan border region, highlights biodiversity conservation efforts in the park.

6. Recently, where was the third annual conference on MND ‘Awareness, Care and Management’ held?

A. AIIMS, Patna

B. KGMU, Lucknow

C. NIMHANS, Bengaluru

D. AIIMS, Delhi

• The annual conference on MND ‘Awareness, Care, and Management’ at Nimhans, Bengaluru, highlighted the importance of symptomatic and supportive treatments. Motor Neuron Diseases (MNDs) are progressive neurological disorders affecting motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to muscle weakness, slurred speech, and paralysis, typically after age 50. Causes are mostly unknown, though some cases are genetic. MND affects more males than females.

7. Steriphopus wangala belongs to which species?

A. Fish

B. Spider

C. Frog

D. Butterfly

• A new spider species, Steriphopus wangala, was discovered in Meghalaya’s West Garo Hills. Named after the Garo community’s Wangala harvest festival, this spider belongs to the Palp-Footed Spider family and has reddish-brown coloring.

8. Juno probe is a NASA spacecraft designed to orbit which planet?

A. Jupiter

B. Mars

C. Saturn

D. Venus

• New findings from NASA’s Juno probe reveal the extent of lava lakes on Jupiter’s moon Io. Launched in 2011, Juno is designed to study Jupiter’s origins and changes. It arrived at Jupiter in 2016 and orbits every 11 days. Initially a 5-year mission, it has been extended to 2025. During this extended mission, Juno explores Jupiter’s moons Ganymede, Europa, and Io, as well as its atmosphere and rings.

9. Recently, which organization has successfully completed six consecutive development trials of High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) ‘ABHYAS’?

A. JAXA

B. DRDO

C. ISRO

D. HAL

• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently completed six successful trials of the High-Speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) ‘ABHYAS’ in Chandipur, Odisha. Designed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro, ABHYAS provides realistic threat scenarios for weapon systems practice. It features autonomous flying, a laptop-based Ground Control System, and data recording capabilities for post-flight analysis.

10. Recently, where was the Commonwealth Local Government Forum (CLGF) Annual Board meeting held?

A. India

B. Sri Lanka

C. Bhutan

D. China

• India participated in the CLGF Annual Board meeting in Sri Lanka, focusing on “Reinforcing Social Resilience through Women’s Political Representation.” CLGF, headquartered in London since 1995, unites local governments and ministries across 56 Commonwealth nations, including India. It advocates for gender equality in local governance to support women’s active participation in public life, aligning with SDG 5 goals.

11. Recently, an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) system for early detection of forest fires has been launched in which tiger reserve of Maharashtra?

A. Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve

B. Pench Tiger Reserve

C. Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

D. Sahyadri Tiger Reserve

• An advanced AI system for early forest fire detection has deployed at Pench Tiger Reserve. Located across Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, Pench is known for its diverse forest types including Tropical Moist Deciduous and Teak. The reserve, designated a National Park in 1975 and Tiger Reserve in 1992, is divided by the Pench River and hosts a rich biodiversity.

12. Which organization created the national level geospatial databases for Bhuvan Panchayat 4.0 and National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM 5.0)?

A. JAXA

B. ISRO

C. NASA

D. CNSA

• The Union Minister of State for Science and Technology launched two geoportals: Bhuvan Panchayat 4.0 and NDEM 5.0, both with national geospatial databases created by ISRO. Bhuvan Panchayat 4.0 aims to integrate space-based information for governance and research, focusing on spatial planning at the Gram Panchayat level. NDEM 5.0 provides a comprehensive geospatial database for nationwide situational assessment and decision-making during emergencies.