Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
Drug-resistant fungal infections, especially Trichophyton indotineae, are a growing health concern in India. Trichophyton indotineae, known as ringworm or jock itch, was first identified in India and has spread globally. It belongs to genotype VIII within the T. mentagrophytes/T. interdigitale species. Inappropriate use of steroid creams has made this strain difficult to treat. Symptoms include persistent, treatment-resistant rashes, often misdiagnosed as eczema. Misdiagnosis and delayed treatment worsen the condition and increase community transmission. Resistant cases may require alternative treatments like itraconazole, with close healthcare monitoring.

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The Prime Minister introduced 109 new seed varieties that are high-yielding, climate-resilient, and biofortified. These varieties cover 61 crops, including 34 field crops and 27 horticultural crops. Field crops include cereals, millets, forage crops, oilseeds, pulses, sugarcane, cotton, and more. Horticultural crops include fruits, vegetables, plantation crops, spices, flowers, and medicinal plants. The new seed varieties are designed to consume less water while producing higher yields. One paddy variety requires 30% less water than usual, benefiting farmers.

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India is ready to commission its second nuclear-powered submarine, INS Arighat, for strategic deterrence. INS Arighat is India’s second indigenously built nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), following INS Arihant, commissioned in 2018. It was built at the Indian Navy’s Ship Building Centre in Visakhapatnam. It is crucial for India’s nuclear triad, allowing nuclear missile launches from land, air, and sea. The submarine is 111.6 meters long, with a displacement of 6,000 tonnes, and can reach speeds up to 24 knots submerged. It can carry four K-4 SLBMs or twelve K-15 SLBMs, with additional torpedoes and mines for defense.

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The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy released guidelines for the “Model Solar Village” under PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. The initiative aims to create one Model Solar Village per district across India, promoting solar energy adoption and self-reliance. A total of ₹800 crore is allocated, with ₹1 crore for each selected village. Eligible villages must be revenue villages with over 5,000 people (or 2,000 in special category states). Villages compete based on their installed renewable energy capacity, with winners receiving ₹1 crore.The PM-Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana provides 300 units of free electricity per month to 1 crore households, with a ₹75,000 crore investment. Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats will be incentivized to promote rooftop solar systems.

Notes:
Stray dogs near the Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand will be vaccinated against the canine distemper virus (CDV).
Canine distemper is a serious, contagious disease caused by canine distemper virus (CDV). The virus affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and nervous systems of dogs. Puppies under four months and unvaccinated dogs are particularly at risk. CDV can also infect ferrets and various other mammals, especially carnivores like foxes, wolves, raccoons, and skunks. Cats can be infected by CDV, but they are unlikely to become sick.

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The International Labour Organization released the “Global Employment Trends for Youth 2024” report, marking its 20th anniversary. The report highlights achievements, challenges, and future outlooks for youth employment. In 2023, the global youth unemployment rate dropped to 13%, the lowest in 15 years, with 64.9 million unemployed youth, the lowest since 2000. 20.4% of youth were classified as NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training), showing broad labor market exclusion. Two-thirds of young NEETs are women.

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The Amrit Gyan Kosh and Faculty Development portals were recently launched under Mission Karmayogi. The Amrit Gyan Kosh portal provides a shared knowledge bank with India-centric case studies. The Faculty Development portal focuses on training practitioners and faculty to improve knowledge delivery to civil servants. Mission Karmayogi, launched in 2020, aims to build a competent civil service based on Indian values. It includes six key pillars: Policy Framework, Institutional Framework, Competency Framework, Digital Learning Framework (iGOT-Karmayogi), e-HRMS, and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.

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An evaluation of 254 Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs) by NCERT identified issues like lack of transparency in fund use, weak infrastructure, teacher shortages, low salaries, and student safety concerns. KGBVs, launched in 2004, are residential schools for girls from SC, ST, OBC, and minority communities in educationally backward areas. They aim to improve access and quality of education for girls in regions with low female literacy and high gender gaps. The scheme reserves 75% of seats for these disadvantaged groups and 25% for girls from poor families.

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The Union Minister for Jal Shakti launched Version 2.0 of the ‘FloodWatch India’ mobile app by the Central Water Commission (CWC). The app provides real-time flood information and 7-day forecasts to the public in English and Hindi, with both readable and audio formats. Users can monitor flood situations across the country using real-time river flow data and get flood forecasts at nearby stations. The app includes advanced technologies like satellite data analysis and mathematical modeling. Version 2.0 adds 392 more flood monitoring stations, totaling 592, and provides storage information for 150 major reservoirs to better predict downstream flood situations.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) released the 25th issue of the ‘Women and Men in India 2023’ report, offering a comprehensive view of gender-related data. By 2036, India’s population is expected to reach 152.2 crore, with the female percentage increasing to 48.8%. The sex ratio is projected to rise from 943 (2011) to 952 (2036). The working-age population (15-59 years) is expected to grow from 60.7% to 64.9% by 2036. Life expectancy is projected to improve to 71.2 years for males and 74.7 years for females by 2031-36.