Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
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.

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INS Shivalik recently arrived in Guam for an operational turnaround after participating in RIMPAC 2024, the world’s largest multinational maritime exercise. Guam is the largest and southernmost of the Mariana Islands in the Northern Pacific Ocean and is a US territory. It was a Spanish colony until 1898, becoming a US territory after the Spanish-American War. Guam has a tropical climate with trade winds and equatorial currents. The native Chamorros are of Malayo-Indonesian descent with influences from Spanish, Filipino, Mexican, and other ancestries. The capital of Guam is Hagatna.

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The Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (CITI) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) have launched the Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work (FPRW) project. This initiative aims to raise awareness and share best practices on labor standards. The FPRW project focuses on upholding basic human values crucial for social and economic well-being. It was established in 1998 and updated in 2022. The ILO Declaration covers essential labor standards across various conventions. Originally four categories of standards were recognized, now expanded to five, including occupational safety and health.

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A vaccine-derived polio case was confirmed in a two-year-old in Tikrikilla, Meghalaya. This is not wild poliovirus but occurs in individuals with low immunity. India has been polio-free since 2014, with the last wild poliovirus case in 2011. Vaccine-derived polio (VDPV) occurs when the weakened virus in the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) mutates in under-immunized populations. Since 2000, 24 VDPV outbreaks have occurred globally with fewer than 760 cases. WHO recommends multiple rounds of high-quality immunization campaigns to prevent VDPV transmission. Polio is a viral disease that can cause paralysis and death.

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India aims to blend 20% ethanol with petrol by 2025-26, addressing concerns about fuel efficiency and the food vs. fuel debate. Ethanol, mainly produced from sugarcane molasses, can also come from sources like rice husk and maize, and is considered a renewable fuel. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas launched the Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme in 2003 to promote alternative fuels. The programme, extended to all of India (except some UTs) in 2019, increased ethanol blending from 1.6% in 2013-14 to 11.8% in 2022-23. India plans to produce 1,000 crore litres of ethanol for blending by 2025-26.

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An international group has proposed a lunar time standard to address time discrepancies on the Moon due to its unique gravity. Atomic clocks, crucial for precision in GPS, telecom, and research, are the most accurate timekeeping devices. These clocks measure time using the stable resonant frequencies of atoms like cesium-133. One second is defined by the vibration of a cesium atom 9,192,631,770 times. Atomic clocks work by introducing a microwave signal to cesium atoms, detecting emitted radiation, and adjusting timekeeping for continuous precision.

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Similipal Tiger Reserve in Odisha will grow bamboo grass in the National Park. It is located in Mayurbhanj District, Odisha. It covers 2,750 sq km and features waterfalls like Joranda and Barehipani. It was designated as a tiger reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1979. In 1980, 303 sq km was proposed as a National Park, and in 2009, UNESCO added it to its Biosphere Reserves list. The reserve is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve and features hilly terrain with diverse vegetation, mainly Northern tropical moist deciduous forests and semi-evergreen patches.

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The central government secured $500 million from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). This funding is aimed at improving tertiary healthcare and medical education in Maharashtra. Four new medical colleges with attached tertiary care hospitals will be established. The project focuses on climate resilience, gender inclusivity, and underserved districts. It will also increase hospital bed capacity in the state. Plans include recruiting 500 new doctors to strengthen the healthcare system.

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The Zoological Survey of India and Odisha Forest Department are tagging horseshoe crabs to study their population, habitat, and migration. Horseshoe crabs are ancient marine arthropods, known as “living fossils,” related to scorpions and spiders. They live in shallow coastal waters and spawn on intertidal beaches during high tides. Global species include the Vulnerable American Horseshoe Crab, Endangered Tri-spine Horseshoe Crab, Coastal Horseshoe Crab, and Mangrove Horseshoe Crab. India has two species: Coastal Horseshoe Crab and Mangrove Horseshoe Crab, found mainly along the northeastern coast in Odisha and West Bengal.

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The Union Home Minister inaugurated the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) zonal office in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. The NCB is India’s main drug law enforcement and intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Established on November 14, 1985, it operates under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Its headquarters are in Delhi. The NCB coordinates actions across various laws related to drug enforcement and international drug traffic. It assists international and foreign authorities in fighting drug trafficking and drug abuse.