Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
The Union Government has referred complaints about Auroville to relevant agencies, the Minister of State for Education stated recently. Founded by Mirra Alfassa on February 28, 1968, Auroville is the world’s largest international intentional community, located near Puducherry. It spans 3,000 acres, houses 3,300 residents from 58 nations, and has over 3 million trees. Administered by the Ministry of Education under the Auroville Foundation Act, 1988, it receives partial government funding.

Notes:
The Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM), announced in the 2019 Interim Budget, aims to provide social security to unorganized workers. Implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Employment through LIC and CSCs since February 15, 2019, it targets approximately 42 crore workers. LIC manages the pension fund and payouts. By the end of July 2024, over 50 lakh unorganised sector workers had enrolled in this Central Sector Scheme.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government has approved Logistics Policy 2024. It aims to establish more than 200 logistics parks, complexes, and terminals, which is expected to generate approximately 5,00,000 new job opportunities. The policy targets developing 10,000+ acres of logistics infrastructure, including 25 district nodes, five regional hubs, and state, national, and international logistics hubs. It incentivizes hi-tech logistics, promoting AI, Blockchain, robotics, automation, IoT, and drones, generating tech-savvy jobs for local youth.

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India’s first round-the-clock grain ATM was recently launched at Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. Odisha introduced its first Grain ATM on August 8, 2024, under the National Food Security Programme. This technology, part of the central Annapurti programme, was developed with the World Food Programme to enhance food security. Grain ATMs are automated machines that provide food grains directly to people, reducing hunger and ensuring fair distribution. They minimize human intervention, cut down on corruption, and were first used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some machines use biometric authentication for security and offer fortified grains to improve nutrition, aiming to reduce food waste and increase efficiency.

Notes:
A 45-year-old man was killed by a herd of elephants while collecting wild mushrooms in Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR). DTR is located on the Indo-Nepal border in Lakhimpur-Kheri, Uttar Pradesh, and includes Dudhwa National Park and nearby sanctuaries like Kishanpur and Katerniaghat. It features a Tarai-Bhabar habitat typical of the upper Gangetic plains.
Rivers like Sharda, Geruwa, Suheli, and Mohana flow through the reserve, tributaries of the Ghagra River. The vegetation is North Indian Moist Deciduous, with prominent Sal forests and other tree species like Asna, Haldu, and Gahmhar.

Notes:
SJVN Limited (Mini Ratna Schedule ‘A’ CPSU under Ministry of Power) has successfully commissioned the 90 MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. This project involves placing solar panels on floating structures in water bodies like lakes and reservoirs. India has a potential capacity of 280-300 GW for floating solar power, according to the World Bank.

Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu received Timor Leste’s highest civilian award, the Grand Collar of Order of Timor Leste, on 10 August 2024 in Dili. She is the first Indian President to visit Timor Leste, as part of her three-nation tour to Fiji, New Zealand, and Timor Leste from 5-10 August 2024. President Murmu discussed IT infrastructure, medical, and capacity-building assistance with Timor Leste’s President José Ramos Horta. Three MoUs were signed between India and Timor Leste, including media cooperation, visa exemptions for officials, and cultural exchange programs.

Notes:
The 33rd Summer Olympics ended on August 11, 2024, in Paris, France, with the Olympic flame being extinguished by IOC President Thomas Bach and French swimmer Leon Marchand. The Olympic flag was handed over to Los Angeles, USA, which will host the 34th Summer Olympics in 2028. India sent a 117-member team to the Paris Olympics and won six medals: one silver and five bronze. Medal winners included Manu Bhaker (bronze, two events), Swapnil Kusale (bronze), the Men’s Hockey Team (bronze), Neeraj Chopra (silver in javelin), and Aman Sehrawat (bronze in wrestling).

Notes:
Scientists from Mizoram University and Max Planck Institute identified a new snake species in Mizoram named Smithophis mizoramensis. The species is also called “Tuithiangrul” or “Mizo Brook Snake.” This discovery raises the total number of known Smithophis species to five. Two other Smithophis species were previously recorded in Mizoram. The snake was studied for 15 years due to its resemblance to related species, showing a 10-14% DNA difference. It has unique coloration and scale patterns and inhabits both lowland and highland areas near rivers in Mizoram.

Notes:
The India Rankings 2024 were released by the Union Education Minister, based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras ranked 1st in the Overall Category for the sixth year and in Engineering for the ninth year.
IISc Bengaluru topped the Universities Category for the ninth year and Research Institutions for the fourth year. IIM Ahmedabad ranked 1st in Management for the fifth year. AIIMS Delhi topped the Medical Category for the seventh year. Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, ranked 1st in Pharmacy. NLSIU Bengaluru retained 1st position in Law. NIRF was launched in 2015 and uses five broad parameters for ranking. The 2024 edition introduced three new categories: State Public Universities, Open Universities, and Skill Universities, and integrated “Innovation” rankings.