Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2024

Notes:
Australia’s National Defense Strategy 2024 designates India as a “top-tier security partner” in the Indo-Pacific Region (IPR), emphasizing practical cooperation. Both nations collaborate in the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) with Japan and the US to address regional challenges. Bilaterally, they upgraded ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2020, focusing on maritime cooperation and defense. Agreements like Mutual Logistics Support and AUSTRAHIND joint military exercises further deepen defense collaboration.

Notes:
World Book and Copyright Day, observed annually on April 23rd, promotes reading and publishing. UNESCO organizes events worldwide. The 2024 theme, “Read Your Way,” highlights the joy of reading. Established in 1995, it honors literary giants like Shakespeare and Cervantes. Initially celebrated in 1922 by Vicente Clavel Andres, it became an international observance in 1995. April 23 marks the death anniversaries of Cervantes and Shakespeare, prompting UNESCO’s choice of date for the celebration.

Notes:
Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU) in Gandhinagar, India, and Starburst Aerospace of France have inked a significant memorandum of understanding (MoU) to boost innovation in aerospace, defence, and homeland security. This aligns with the India-France Strategic Partnership and includes the creation of a 100 million euros venture capital fund. Indian startups will also receive export promotion support. The collaboration extends to include Security and Scientific Technical Research Association (SASTRA), driving advancements in these sectors.

Notes:
On Earth Day 2024, Bhutan leads the Sustainable Finance for Tiger Landscapes Conference, striving to raise $1 billion in a decade to safeguard crucial tiger habitats. Co-hosted by Bhutan’s Queen Jetsun Pema Wangchuck, the event, in collaboration with the Royal Government of Bhutan and the Tiger Conservation Coalition, highlights sustainable finance, the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework, and essential public-private partnerships for tiger conservation.

Notes:
On Earth Day, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) revealed its Climate Strategy 2030, targeting India’s green financing requirements. Key pillars include accelerating green lending, broadening market-making roles, internal transformation, and resource mobilization. India needs approximately $170 billion annually to achieve a cumulative total of over $2.5 trillion by 2030, yet only received $49 billion in green financing as of 2019-20. Most funds focused on mitigation, with minimal allocation to adaptation and resilience, hindered by limited private sector engagement.

Notes:
The Delhi High Court recently deemed the new income threshold for the Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) scheme as “extremely low.” Under the revised RAN umbrella scheme, the monthly income limit for benefits stands at ₹1,571 for rural areas and ₹1,605 for urban areas. Administered by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, RAN provides one-time financial aid to impoverished patients with life-threatening diseases like heart, kidney, liver, and cancer for treatment at specialized government hospitals.

Notes:
Researchers from India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, in collaboration with the British Antarctic Survey, reported unprecedented hindrance in Antarctic ice expansion and retreat before the 2023 annual ice maximum. Established in 1998 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, it spearheads India’s polar and Southern Ocean research. The center plans and executes expeditions in Antarctica, Arctic, Himalayas, and Southern Ocean, while also focusing on vital projects like EEZ mapping and the Deep Ocean Mission. Located in Goa, it was formerly known as the National Center for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR).

Notes:
A Ministerial Round Table Conference convened on April 24, 2024, during the 26th World Energy Congress in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Discussions centered on the transformative impact of the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. The Congress, themed ‘Redesigning Energy for People and Planet’, aimed to shape global energy transitions amidst unpredictability.

Notes:
Adani Group’s Vizhinjam Port in Kerala is India’s first transshipment port, approved by the shipping ministry. It’s the country’s first full-fledged deepwater transshipment port. Transshipment ports transfer cargo between ships en route to their final destinations. Vizhinjam’s strategic location will attract large vessels, part of Maritime India Vision 2030 to boost manufacturing.

Notes:
The 6th International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) convened in New Delhi, India, featuring government bodies, global institutions, and media. Hosted by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, the theme “Investing Today for a More Resilient Tomorrow” emphasized proactive measures. The conference aimed to foster resilience in infrastructure against disasters and climate change, fostering global collaboration for resilient infrastructure projects.