Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
Indian badminton star Ashwini Ponnappa emotionally retired from the Olympic stage after her early exit at the Paris 2024 Games. Partnering with Tanisha Crasto, they lost their final match to Australia’s Setyana Mapasa and Angela Yu, ending their campaign with three consecutive losses. Ashwini, a three-time Olympian, is celebrated for her achievements with Jwala Gutta, including gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and bronze at the World Championships in 2011.

Notes:
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Swapnil Kusale won a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 Positions event. This is India’s third Olympic medal in rifle shooting, following Abhinav Bindra’s gold in 2008 and Gagan Narang’s bronze in 2012. Liu Yukun of China won gold, and Ukraine’s Serhiy Kulish took silver. The competition was held at the National Shooting Center in Châteauroux, Paris.

Notes:
Ministry of Defence signed an MoU with Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) to establish three advanced testing facilities in Uttar Pradesh under the Defence Testing Infrastructure Scheme (DTIS). These include one facility in Lucknow for Mechanical & Material (M&M) and two in Kanpur for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Communications. DTIS was launched in May 2020 by Ministry of Defence with a Rs 400 crore budget. DTIS aims to boost indigenous defence production.

Notes:
Heavy rainfall in Kerala’s Wayanad region triggered landslides and rescue operations along the 169 km Chaliyar River. Originating from the Elambalari Hills in Tamil Nadu, the river passes through Malappuram and Kozhikode districts and drains into the Arabian Sea at Beypore port. Historically vital for timber transport and known for goldfields, the river has faced significant pollution from a pulp factory at Mavoor.

Notes:
The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) launched the Women Entrepreneurship Programme to empower 25 lakh women in India. The program, in two phases, offers free online entrepreneurship courses through Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH), supported by NIESBUD. In the second phase, NSDC will provide incubation support to 10,000 selected contestants across 100 business models.

Notes:
A mahout from Darrang district was tragically killed by a wild elephant at Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Located in Assam’s Morigaon district, Pobitora is home to the highest density of Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros, with around 102 rhinos in 38.8 sq. km. The sanctuary, declared in 1987, features alluvial lowlands, marshland, and wet savannah, bordered by the Brahmaputra River to the north and Garanga Beel to the south.

Notes:
The Indian Army’s Madras Engineer Group built a 190-foot Bailey bridge at Chooralmala, Kerala, after deadly landslides in Wayanad district. Invented during WWII by Donald Coleman Bailey, this modular, quick-assembly bridge consists of prefabricated steel panels linked by pins. Historically praised for its wartime use, it was inherited by India from British legacy and used in the 1971 war. The bridge aids movement of people and heavy machinery, with a capacity of 24 tonnes.

Notes:
The yen carry trade became notable after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates and cut bond purchases, causing the yen to strengthen. Investors reacted by unwinding their positions to prevent losses, which led to a selloff in US tech stocks and affected global markets, including Asia. A carry trade involves borrowing in a country with low interest rates and investing in assets in a country with higher returns.

Notes:
Chief Minister Hemant Soren launched the ‘Upasthiti Portal’ to track daily attendance of health workers in Jharkhand. This system will verify biometric attendance to ensure accountability. Soren emphasized the government’s commitment to improving health facilities, aiming to provide better medical services in hospitals and health centers. Efforts include enhancing maintenance, resources, and investigation facilities to ensure accessible healthcare for all residents of Jharkhand.

Notes:
During her first official visit to Fiji from August 5 to 7, 2024, President Droupadi Murmu was honored with Fiji’s highest civilian award, the Companion of the Order of Fiji. She is the first Indian President to visit Fiji, where she met with Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and President Ratu William Maivalili Katonivere. The Fiji government also allocated land for a 100-bed Super Speciality Hospital, supported by India.