Current affairs 02 August 2024

India Becomes 2nd Largest Aluminium Producer in World.

• India is now the 2nd largest aluminum producer globally, with a 1.2% growth in production to 10.43 lakh tons in Q1 FY 2024-25.
• Key minerals like iron ore and limestone have grown robustly, with iron ore production rising to 79 MMT and limestone to 116 MMT.
• China is the largest aluminum-producing country in the world.

India elected as Vice-Chair of IPEF’s Supply Chain Council.

• Three bodies established under the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) Supply Chain Agreement:
• Supply Chain Council: Focuses on strengthening supply chains for critical sectors.
• Crisis Response Network: Provides a platform for collective emergency responses to disruptions.
• Labor Rights Advisory Board: Works to enhance labor rights and workforce development across regional supply chains.

Rapido becomes third startup to achieve unicorn status in 2024.

• Rapido, a ride-hailing startup, becomes a unicorn after raising $120 million in Series E funding led by WestBridge Capital.
• The company aims to further develop its tech stack and enter markets dominated by Ola and Uber, with an additional $20 million expected from global investors.
• Founded in 2015, Rapido now joined Perfios and Krutrim AI as the 3rd startup to achieve unicorn status in 2024.

Periyar Tiger Reserve installed wind turbine for power generation.

• Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady has installed a 1-kilowatt wind turbine to generate power for real-time monitoring cameras and Wi-Fi connectivity within its forests, enhancing communication in 17 forest sections with poor mobile network coverage.
• Periyar Tiger Reserve, established in 1982, is located in the mountainous Western Ghats of Kerala.

Swapnil Kusale Wins India's First 50m Rifle 3 Positions Olympic Bronze.

• Swapnil Kusale secured India's first-ever Olympic bronze in the 50m rifle 3 positions event at the Paris Games.
• Kusale shot an aggregate of 451.4 to finish third, overcoming a sixth-place position earlier in the final.
• This medal adds to India's tally of three bronze medals at the Paris Games, following Manu Bhaker's wins in women's 10m air pistol and mixed team 10m air pistol.