CURRENT AFFAIRS 24 September, 2024
- JORDAN BECOMES FIRST COUNTRY TO ELIMINATE LEPROSY –
- The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Jordan as the first country in the world to eliminate leprosy.
- This recognition was praised by WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who highlighted the collective effort by Jordan to stop the spread of the disease and tackle the stigma associated with it.
- Jordan’s success is a huge milestone in public health. It shows that with the right strategies, countries can not only eliminate diseases but also reduce the negative social and economic effects of those diseases.
- According to Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, this success is about more than just stopping the disease—it also includes fighting its psychological and social impacts.
- EU PLEDGES ₹35 BILLION LOAN TO SUPPORT UKRAINE’S RECOVERY –
- The European Union (EU) has promised to lend Ukraine up to ₹35 billion (about $39 billion) to help the country recover from the ongoing war with Russia, which started in February 2022.
- This loan is part of a larger financial aid package that is being coordinated by the G7 nations, a group of the world’s largest economies, to support Ukraine during this difficult time.
- The G7 leaders agreed to provide Ukraine with a total loan package of $50 billion. This money is meant to help rebuild Ukraine’s economy and repair important infrastructure, especially its power systems, which have been badly damaged by the war.
- WHITE REVOLUTION 2.0 –
- Union Minister Amit Shah introduced “White Revolution 2.0” to further strengthen India’s dairy sector.
- This initiative builds upon the success of Operation Flood, which started in 1970 and transformed the dairy industry through cooperative societies. Operation Flood made India one of the largest milk producers in the world.
- The primary goal of White Revolution 2.0 is to increase milk collection across the country by 50% over the next five years.
- The aim is to boost daily milk procurement from 660 lakh kilograms to 1,007 lakh kilograms by 2028-29. This will also give dairy farmers better access to markets by expanding the cooperative network.
- INDIA’S FIRST ASTRONAUT TO ISS SET FOR AX-4 MISSION –
- In 2025, India will make history again in space with Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla piloting the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission.
- This mission will be India’s first human presence on the International Space Station (ISS) and only the second government-sponsored human spaceflight from India, after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma’s mission in 1984.
- The Ax-4 mission is part of a bigger plan between India and the United States. This collaboration was announced by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the U.S.
- To make it happen, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) signed an agreement with Axiom Space, an American company that specializes in sending humans to space.
- KAZIRANGA SEES 86% DROP IN RHINO POACHING SINCE 2016 –
- Kaziranga National Park in Assam has achieved an 86% decrease in rhino poaching since 2016, highlighted by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on World Rhino Day.
- From 2000 to 2021, poachers killed 190 rhinos in Assam, primarily for their horns, which are highly valued in traditional medicine and as status symbols.