Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2024

Notes:
Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, honored INS Sharda at Southern Naval Command, Kochi, with an ‘On the Spot Unit Citation’ for its successful anti-piracy efforts. The ship played a crucial role in rescuing 19 crew members of the Iranian fishing vessel Omari from Somali pirates. Utilizing surveillance data, INS Sharda covertly tracked the vessel, launching a helo and Prahar team at dawn, compelling the pirates to release the crew. This operation exemplifies Indian Navy’s commitment to maritime security.

Notes:
The Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has recommended a five-year anti-dumping duty on sodium cyanide (NaCN) imported from China, the EU, Japan, and Korea. The investigation, conducted under the Customs Tariff Act and Rules, cited suppressed prices, production declines, and financial losses for domestic industry. Economic non-viability has led to production suspension despite capacity expansion. Sodium cyanide, used in various applications including insecticides and metal extraction, appears as a white crystalline solid with the chemical formula NaCN.

Notes:
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) unveiled its inaugural ‘Vision for Regional Security’ in Riyadh, marking a historic milestone since its establishment in 1981. Comprising Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, the GCC fosters unity among member states through shared political and cultural identities. The council’s presidency rotates annually, reflecting its commitment to collective objectives rooted in Arab and Islamic traditions.

Notes:
India’s top tennis player, Sumit Nagal, advances to the second round of the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters, becoming the third Indian to reach the main draw. Nagal made history as the first Indian to play an ATP Masters 1000 match on clay since 1990. He defeated Italy’s Matteo Arnaldi in a stunning comeback, marking his third win against a top-50 player. Nagal faces Denmark’s Holger Rune next, aiming for further success.

Notes:
BEML Limited and Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) signed an MoU to jointly develop an indigenous Train Control Management System (i-TCMS). The exchange took place at BEML headquarters with dignitaries including Shri Shantanu Roy, CMD of BEML, and Shri Manoj Jain, Director (R&D) of BEL. The collaboration aims to reduce India’s import dependency for train communication technology, aligning with the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative for world-class rail products.

Notes:
The Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) Clean Economy Investor Forum will be held in Singapore in June 2024 to attract investments for sustainable infrastructure, climate tech, and renewable energy projects. Tech companies and startups are invited to showcase Indian investment projects in EV and solar energy infrastructure. Launched in May 2022, IPEF is a US-led initiative involving 14 countries to bolster economic partnerships, equity, and competitiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.

Notes:
Scientists have achieved the first visualization of the Wigner crystal, solid phase of electrons, It is a unique electron-based matter predicted by Eugene Wigner in 1934. This solid phase forms due to electron-electron interactions, resulting in a lattice structure under conditions of low density and extreme cold. Unlike classical physics, it follows quantum laws, behaving more like a wave than individual particles. The crystal is highly sensitive to environmental factors, making experimental observation challenging.

Notes:
Dr. Ashvini Keshavan, an Indian-origin neurologist and Senior Clinical Research and Honorary Consultant Neurologist Fellow at University College London (UCL), has been selected to be part of Britain’s research team on dementia. The team, called ADAPT (Alzheimer’s disease Diagnosis And Plasma pTau217), will focus on the biomarker p-tau217, which reflects the levels of two proteins found in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease: amyloid and tau. The team will conduct a clinical trial to see if measuring p-tau217 in the blood can increase the rate of diagnosis for Alzheimer’s disease in people with early dementia, as well as in those with mild, progressive memory problems.

Notes:
Since 2017, officials report over 700 acres of farmland in Jammu and Kashmir have been dedicated to lavender cultivation, with plans to expand by another 100 acres. Introduced by the CSIR Aroma Mission, lavender, a perennial herb native to Europe, finds application in fragrance, food, and medicine industries. Its cultivation requires well-drained, organic-rich soil, moderate rainfall, and temperate climates. Lavender thrives in sunlight and can withstand drought and frost, making it adaptable to hilly terrains and snowy regions.

Notes:
An international team led by the University of Oxford and UNSW Canberra introduces the inaugural ‘World Cybercrime Index’. Drawing from data collected through a survey of 92 experts, it ranks roughly 100 countries based on cybercrime prevalence. Key findings reveal concentrated threats, with Russia leading, followed by Ukraine, China, USA, Nigeria, and Romania. The score of India was recorded at 6.13 and was ranked 10th in the list of 15 countries. Cybercrime costs are projected to skyrocket, reaching $13.82 trillion by 2028.