Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh government plans to launch a toll-free number for Vidya Samiksha Kendras to improve education quality. The toll-free line will gather feedback, address concerns, and resolve school education inquiries using interactive voice response (IVR) technology. This initiative aims to increase public involvement and strengthen support for students at primary, upper primary, and composite school levels. Vidya Samiksha Kendras aim to leverage data and technology to significantly improve learning outcomes by analyzing data from over 15 lakh schools, 96 lakh teachers, and 26 crore students using AI and machine learning.

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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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India and Australia held two key bilateral meetings to enhance their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Australia hosted the 6th India-Australia Maritime Security Dialogue in Canberra, to discuss maritime security cooperation.
The Indian delegation was led by Ms. Muanpuii Saiawi, while Ms. Sarah Storey and Mr. Bernard Philip led the Australian delegation. They discussed Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), sustainable marine resource use, Search and Rescue operations, pollution response, blue economy, and Port State control. India hosted the 14th India-Australia Joint Working Group on Counter-Terrorism in New Delhi. The 7th Maritime Security Dialogue will be held in New Delhi.

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh has launched the HIM-UNNATI scheme to promote natural farming, with a ₹150 crore allocation. The scheme supports 1.92 lakh farmers practicing chemical-free farming on over 32,149 hectares. It aims to make agriculture economically viable by promoting a cluster-based development model and natural farming practices. The initiative will consolidate smallholding farmers for bulk production and integrate with existing agricultural schemes and departments like animal husbandry and horticulture to maximize impact.

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The WHO declared mpox a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC) for the second time in two years. A PHEIC is a serious and unexpected health event that spreads internationally and needs a coordinated global response. Mpox is caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), a double-stranded DNA virus from the Orthopoxvirus genus. There are two genetic clades of MPXV: clade I and clade II. mpox was first reported in humans in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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Astronomers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) developed a method to predict the strength of upcoming solar cycles. This discovery uses over 100 years of solar data from IIA’s Kodaikanal Solar Observatory. Solar images at a specific wavelength (393.3 nm) revealed a correlation between the width of supergranular cells during the solar cycle’s minimum phase and the number of sunspots in the next maximum phase. This method offers a simple and effective way to predict solar activity. Accurate solar cycle predictions are crucial for improving space weather forecasting.

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A British man set a new Guinness World Record for the highest altitude ski BASE jump, leaping from 18,753 feet on Mera Peak in Nepal. Mera Peak is located in the Khumbu region of Nepal, standing at 6,476m above sea level, making it the highest trekking peak in the country. The peak dominates the area between the Hinku and Hongu Drangkas valleys and is considered the gateway to Everest. Trekkers usually climb Mera Central, although Mera North Peak is the highest. Mera Peak was first climbed in 1953 by Col. Jimmy Roberts and Sen Tenzing.

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The Indian Army and Air Force conducted the first paradrop of the Aarogya Maitri Health Cube at 15,000 feet elevation. Aarogya Maitri Health Cube is the world’s first portable hospital, designed indigenously under Project BHISHM. It includes medical equipment like a mini-ICU, operation theatre, cooking station, food, water, power generator, blood test equipment, and an X-ray machine. This innovative hospital can provide essential healthcare in remote and high-altitude areas.

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The forest department fined 14 SUV owners Rs 1 lakh each for illegally entering Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) during an adventure rally. RTR is located at the junction of the Aravalis and Vindhyan ranges, 14 km from Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan. It is one of northern India’s largest tiger reserves, covering 1,411 sq. km, and was once a royal hunting ground. The reserve features diverse landscapes, including the Ranthambore Fort, rivers Chambal and Banas, and lakes like Padam Talab. The ‘Great Boundary Fault’ marks where the Vindhyas plateau meets the Aravalis.

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A research team at Central University of Kerala, led by Dr. Ravi Kumar Kanaparthi, developed an advanced cyanide sensor to improve safety in drinking water and food. Cyanide is a dangerous toxin found in certain plants and foods like cassava, almonds, and apple seeds, and the WHO recommends keeping its concentration below 0.19 mg/L in drinking water. Recent cyanide poisoning incidents, like the death of 13 cows in Idukki, highlight the need for effective detection. The sensor changes color from yellow to colorless or bluish-green in the presence of cyanide, allowing for easy and accurate detection.