Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
The Ministry of Health designated snakebite cases and deaths as a notifiable disease to improve monitoring and response. Notifiable diseases are legally required to be reported to authorities for better surveillance and outbreak prevention. States are responsible for implementing and notifying such diseases. The National Action Plan for Snakebite Envenoming (NAPSE) aims to reduce snakebite deaths and disabilities by 50% by 2030. Other notifiable diseases include AIDS, hepatitis, and dengue. WHO’s International Health Regulations mandate reporting certain diseases to WHO for global health monitoring.

Notes:
The Ayush Oushadhi Gunvatta evam Uttpadan Samvardhan Yojana was recently discussed in the Rajya Sabha by the Union Minister of State for Ayush. The Ayush Oushadhi Gunvatta evam Uttpadan Samvardhan Yojana is a Central Sector Scheme by the Ministry of Ayush. It regulates Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy (ASU&H) medicines under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. The scheme enhances India’s manufacturing and export capabilities for traditional medicines under Atmanirbhar Bharat. It supports infrastructure, technology upgrades, and institutional activities for Ayush drug standardization and testing. It strengthens regulatory frameworks for quality control, safety, and monitoring misleading Ayush advertisements. The scheme fosters collaborations to promote standards and quality of Ayush drugs and materials.

Notes:
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) launched an Air Quality Dashboard offering real-time and forecasted air pollution data. It combines ground sensor data with satellite imagery for insights on local, sub-regional, and regional pollution levels. The dashboard uses the WRF-Chem model to track PM2.5 spread in hotspots like Lahore, New Delhi, and Kolkata and its links with weather patterns. It provides two-day air quality forecasts and cross-border pollution data for policymakers, communities, and researchers. ICIMOD, established in 1983, serves Hindu Kush Himalaya countries with knowledge-sharing and sustainable development solutions.

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The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced in the UK to allow terminally ill patients to seek assistance to end their lives with dignity. It addresses ethical and humanitarian concerns for patients with no hope of recovery. The Bill passed its first vote with a majority of 330 to 275 and will now go to a public bill committee for amendments before further voting in Parliament. Assisted dying involves terminally ill patients self-administering lethal drugs. Assisted suicide and euthanasia differ; they may involve non-terminally ill patients and require a doctor’s or another person’s help.

Notes:
World Wildlife Conservation Day is observed on December 4 to raise awareness about protecting endangered flora and fauna. The day emphasizes the importance of wildlife conservation and encourages action to safeguard endangered species. India hosts four global biodiversity hotspots: Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats-Sri Lanka, and Sundaland. With only 2.4% of the world’s land area, India supports 7-8% of recorded species, making it a megadiverse country.

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The Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) received a certificate of merit for its mobile app (Ask An Appointment – AAA+) at the Resilience at the Regional Social Security Forum for Asia and the Pacific (RSSF Asia-Pacific), organized by the International Social Security Association (ISSA) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The International Social Security Association (ISSA) was founded in 1927 under the International Labour Organization (ILO) and promotes excellence in social security systems. ISSA helps governments and social security organizations through professional guidelines and support. It has a General Assembly, Council, Bureau, and Control Commission for governance. ISSA’s headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, and India is a member country.

Notes:
The All India Home Price Index (HPI) is released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). The Reserve Bank of India’s All-India Home Price Index (HPI) rose by 4.34%, reaching 322 in September 2024, compared to 308.6 in September 2023. Over the last decade, the HPI has increased by nearly 67%. The HPI tracks changes in residential property prices across cities and regions in India, offering insights into the housing market. All eight major cities reported an annual rise in housing prices. Delhi NCR recorded the highest increase at 32%, followed by Bengaluru with a 24% rise.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the successful implementation of three new criminal laws in Chandigarh. Chandigarh is the first administrative unit in India to achieve 100% implementation of these laws. The laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam—replaced the British-era IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act, respectively. These laws came into effect on July 1, 2024. They aim to uphold constitutional ideals and protect citizens’ rights effectively. The new laws signify a shift from colonial frameworks to a system that prioritizes justice and citizen welfare.

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IIT Bombay researchers developed an open-source tool, IMPART:‘I’ntegration of dyna’M’ic water extents towards improved lake w’A’ter su’R’face ‘T’emperature, to calculate dynamic lake water surface temperatures by considering real-time changes in lake areas. Traditional methods assume constant lake areas, which can lead to inaccurate temperature estimations. IMPART uses satellite data (MODIS, LANDSAT) and Google Earth Engine to analyze temperature and lake extent changes. The tool evaluated 342 lakes globally, including 115 in India, highlighting significant temperature differences between static and dynamic measurements. Dynamic assessments were crucial in tropical, arid, and temperate zones, showing strong climate change impacts on lakes. IMPART aids climate change monitoring, ecological health assessments, and water resource management.

Notes:
The State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) in Kerala recommended urgent projects to stop illegal biowaste and faecal sludge discharge into Ashtamudi Lake. Preliminary findings show excessive algae blooms caused by biowaste and septage pollution. Ashtamudi Lake, a Ramsar site in Kollam, Kerala, is vital to the backwater ecosystem and spans 170 sq km with an eight-armed shape. The lake is fed by the Kallada River and drains into the Arabian Sea. It has historical significance as a trade hub and is renowned for its traditional coir industry.