INPORTANT DAYS

World Day Against Child Labour 20224 observed on 12 June

 World Day Against Child Labour is observed annually on 12 June to raise awareness and encourage action to eliminate child labour in all its forms.

 The theme for this year's World Day Against Child Labour is "Let’s act on our commitments: End Child Labour."

 The United Nations reports that approximately 160 million children worldwide are victims of child labour.

 This year’s observance also marks the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention (1999).

 Despite global efforts, 160 million children, or one in ten children worldwide, are still engaged in child labour.

 Africa has the highest percentage of children in child labour and the highest absolute number of child labourers.

 Asia and the Pacific rank second highest in both the percentage and absolute number of children in child labour.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

United Nations said that 2025 will be designated the “International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.”

 The United Nations has designated 2025 as the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology."

 This year-long, worldwide initiative aims to raise public awareness about the significance of quantum science and its applications through various activities at all levels.

 The designation follows a proposal by Mexico in May 2023, which garnered support from other nations.

 In May 2024, Ghana, backed by over 70 countries, presented a draft resolution to the UN General Assembly, which was approved on June 7.

 The year 2025 will also commemorate a century since German physicist Werner Heisenberg published his seminal paper that reinterpreted classical mechanics, laying the groundwork for quantum mechanics.

 Additionally, in April 2023, the Indian government launched the 'National Quantum Mission' with a budget of Rs 6,000 crore, to be implemented by the Department of Science and Technology from 2023 to 2031.

 The inaugural ceremony of the "International Year of Quantum Science and Technology" is scheduled for January 14, 2025, in Berlin.

DEFENCE

Japan India Maritime Exercise 2024 (JIMEX-24) started at Yokosuka, Japan.

 The Japan-India Maritime Exercise 2024 (JIMEX-24) commenced at Yokosuka, Japan.

 The Indian Navy's indigenous Stealth Frigate, INS Shivalik, arrived in Yokosuka to participate in JIMEX-24.

 This is the eighth edition of the exercise, which began in 2012.

 Japan is represented by the Guided Missile Destroyer, JS Yugiri.

 The exercise consists of both harbour and sea phases. The harbour phase includes professional, sports, and social interactions.

 The navies will demonstrate their warfighting skills at sea and improve interoperability through complex multi-discipline operations across surface, sub-surface, and air domains.

 The exercise promotes learning from each other’s best practices and enhances operational interactions between the Indian Navy (IN) and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

 It also aims to strengthen cooperation for maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

STATE NEWS

Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary to be the fifth tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh.

 Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary will become the fifth tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh after evidence of a tiger population was confirmed.

 The sanctuary spans the districts of Balrampur, Shravasti, and Gonda.

 The announcement was made during the 10th anniversary of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

 Uttar Pradesh recently approved its fourth tiger reserve in Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary.

 Other tiger reserves in Uttar Pradesh include Amangarh Tiger Reserve, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, and Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.

 As of March 2024, there are 55 designated tiger reserves in India.

 Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary covers an area of 452 square kilometers and was designated a wildlife sanctuary in 1998.

Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary will become the second home for cheetahs.

 Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is set to become the second habitat for cheetahs in Madhya Pradesh, following extensive preparations by the state government.

 Expert teams from South Africa and Kenya have visited the sanctuary to assess its suitability for cheetah reintroduction.

 Prey animals have been relocated to Gandhi Sagar from the Kanha, Satpura, and Sanjay tiger reserves to support this initiative.

 As part of the cheetah reintroduction project, eight cheetahs from Namibia (comprising five females and three males) were released at Kuno National Park (KNP) in Sheopur district on September 17, 2022.

 An additional twelve cheetahs were brought from South Africa in February 2023.

 Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary, located in Mandsaur district, is now ready to accommodate more cheetahs.

 In a recent meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, the state wildlife board discussed further wildlife conservation plans.

 The CM directed officials to explore the feasibility of introducing rhinos and other rare and endangered species to the forests of Madhya Pradesh.

APPOINTMENTS

Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi will be the next Chief of Army Staff.

 Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi will become the next Chief of Army Staff, assuming charge on June 30th.

 He will succeed General Manoj C Pande, who will step down on June 30th.

 Commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) of the Indian Army in 1984, Lt. Gen. Dwivedi has had a distinguished career.

 He served as General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Northern Command from 2022 to 2024.

 Following this, he was appointed as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

 Lt. Gen. Dwivedi is an alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa, the National Defence College, and the US Army War College.

 He has been honored with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.