Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
Indian women’s wrestlers won the team title at the U17 World Wrestling Championships 2024, breaking Japan’s dominance.
They secured 8 out of the 10 medals won by India, including 5 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze. The championship was held in Amman, Jordan, from August 19 to 25, 2024. Indian women’s team secured 185 points, while Japan came second with 146 points. This is the first time the Indian women’s team won the title, having consistently been in the top five in the past five editions. The Indian men’s contingent won only two medals.

Notes:
Assam has permitted oil and gas exploration in the Hollongapar Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary. This sanctuary in Jorhat, Assam, is unique for housing India’s only gibbons and North-eastern India’s only nocturnal primate, the Bengal slow loris. It is the only sanctuary in India named after gibbons due to its high gibbon population density. The western hoolock gibbon, found in all northeastern states and parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar, is listed as endangered by the IUCN and is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. The eastern hoolock gibbon is found in specific areas of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, with a vulnerable IUCN status.

Notes:
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) discovered two new spider species, named Mimetus spinatus and Mimetus parvulus, in the southern Western Ghats. These spiders were found in Karnataka’s Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary and Kerala’s Ernakulam district. Both belong to the Mimetidae family, known as pirate or cannibal spiders for their behavior of mimicking prey or mates to attack other spiders. Mimetus spinatus has a medium size, pale yellow head, and green mottled abdomen. Mimetus parvulus has a creamy-rose head with grey-black spots and a triangular grey-white abdomen. These discoveries mark the first Mimetus species in India after 118 years.

Notes:
The ‘Anubhav’ online platform was launched in March 2015 by the Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DOPPW) under the Prime Minister’s directions. It allows retiring and retired employees to share their significant achievements during their service. So far, 54 Anubhav Awards and 9 Jury Certificates have been given out. The 7th Anubhav Awards Ceremony took place on August 28, 2024, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, presented the awards.
The awards aim to promote good governance and administrative reforms based on the experiences shared by retiring central government employees.

Notes:
Grandmaster Karthik Venkataraman from Andhra Pradesh won the 61st National Chess Championship in Gurgaon. The event was organized by The Haryana Chess Association at RPS International School. Karthik received a trophy and a cash prize of six lakh rupees. Surya Ganguly, who led the tournament, finished second with a prize of five lakh rupees. IM Neelash Saha also scored nine points but placed third due to lower tiebreaks, earning four lakh rupees.

Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly passed a bill to raise the minimum marriage age for women from 18 to 21 years. The Prohibition of Child Marriage (Himachal Pradesh Amendment) Bill, 2024, was approved by voice vote. The Bill amends the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006, which is a central law. Health Minister Dhani Ram Shandil stated that raising the marriage age provides better opportunities for women. Early marriages hinder women’s education, career progress, and health. The Bill aims to improve women’s physical development and prevent early motherhood. Early marriage limits women’s success and affects their overall well-being.

Notes:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways launched the Voluntary Vehicle Modernization Program, also known as the Vehicle Scrapping Policy. The policy focuses on the voluntary scrapping of commercial and passenger vehicles that are deemed unfit based on their condition, regardless of their age. It aims to phase out polluting vehicles through Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facilities and Automated Testing Stations. For two years, commercial vehicle manufacturers will offer discounts, and for one year, passenger vehicle manufacturers will also provide discounts, given a Scrappage Certificate.

Notes:
Namibian cheetah Pawan was found dead in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh. Pawan was the only free-ranging cheetah to have survived in Kuno. After Pawan’s death, Kuno National Park now has 24 cheetahs, including 12 adults and 12 cubs.
Project Cheetah, started in 2022, aims to reintroduce the cheetah, which was extinct in India. The cheetahs were brought from South Africa and Namibia. The project also focuses on conserving prey species and protecting other endangered species in grasslands and open forests.

Notes:
Bangladesh won the SAFF U-20 Championship, beating Nepal 4-1 in the final at the ANFA ground in Lalitpur. This is Bangladesh’s first title in the tournament. The competition, which began on August 18, 2024, also featured Sri Lanka, India, the Maldives, and Bhutan. India had previously won the SAFF U-20 Championship in 2019, 2022, and 2023. The SAFF U-20 Championship, organized by the South Asian Football Federation, started in August 2015 in Nepal and is held biennially for male players under 20.

Notes:
Bihar Police launched the “Safe Travel Facility” on September 15 to improve safety for women. This 24/7 service is initially available in six districts. Women can call Dial 112 for secure transportation, with police monitoring their journey. The initiative aims to enhance women’s safety and aligns with national efforts to protect and empower women, especially during the festive season.