Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
The 4th India-Malaysia Joint Military Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI conducted at Bentong camp, Pahang, Malaysia. It is scheduled from December 2 to 15, 2024. It involves 78 Indian personnel from the MAHAR Regiment and 123 Malaysian personnel from the Royal Malaysian Regiment. The exercise focuses on counter-insurgency operations in jungle terrain under the UN Mandate’s Chapter VII. It includes cross-training, simulated drills like Anti-MT Ambush, Recce Patrol, and terrorist area attacks. This annual event alternates between the two countries, enhancing interoperability, defence cooperation, and bilateral ties.

Notes:
Russia plans to deploy the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, also called “Satan 2,” to replace older models. The RS-28 Sarmat is a three-stage, liquid-fueled missile with an 18,000 km range and a 208.1 metric ton launch weight. It measures 35.3 meters in length and 3 meters in diameter, carrying a 10-ton payload. The missile can carry up to 10 heavy nuclear warheads, 16 smaller ones, or hypersonic glide vehicles. It features a short initial boost phase, making it harder for enemy systems to track and intercept.

Notes:
The government has set up the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF) to improve urban infrastructure in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. It is funded through the priority sector lending shortfall. The fund supports public agencies in providing basic services like sewerage, waste management, water supply, sanitation, and drainage. It aims to supplement state governments’ efforts and is managed by the National Housing Bank. The initial corpus of the fund is ₹10,000 crore. The UIDF is modeled after the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

Notes:
The government has abolished windfall tax on crude oil, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), petrol, and diesel exports. Windfall tax targets industries earning unusually high profits due to favorable economic conditions. India introduced a windfall tax on domestic crude oil production in July 2022 after global crude prices surged. Such taxes are used to fund public projects, reduce deficits, or redistribute wealth.

Notes:
The 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship held from 3 to 10 December 2024, in New Delhi, India. This is the first time the Handball Association India (HAI) is hosting the event. Initially planned for Almaty, Kazakhstan, the championship was moved to New Delhi. It serves as a qualifier for the 27th IHF Women’s Handball World Championship in 2025 in Germany and the Netherlands.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways introduced the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, to boost coastal trade and prioritize Indian-flagged vessels for national security and commercial needs. Coastal shipping, covering India’s 7,517 km coastline, is energy-efficient, cost-effective, and reduces pressure on road and rail networks. Outdated laws like the Coasting Vessel Act, 1838, and Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, lacked uniformity in regulating the sector. Key changes include removing the general trading license for Indian vessels, creating a National Coastal Shipping Database, and mandating a strategic growth plan. The Bill ensures compliance with environmental standards, encourages inland vessel participation, and emphasizes job creation and national security.

Notes:
Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya inaugurated the International Gita Mahotsav on 5 December 2024 in Kurukshetra, Haryana. The festival celebrates the birth of the ‘Srimad Bhagwat Gita,’ where Lord Krishna advised Arjuna during the Mahabharata war. This year, Tanzania is the foreign partner country, and Odisha is the State partner.

Notes:
The Indian Men’s Junior Hockey team defeated Pakistan 5-3 in the final of the 11th Men’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup 2024, held in Muscat, Oman, on 4th December 2024. India won the Junior Asia Cup title for a record fifth time. This year has been successful for Indian men’s hockey, with a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics and a fifth win in the Asian Men’s Hockey Champions Trophy. The tournament, organized by the Asian Hockey Federation and hosted by Oman.

Notes:
The Tikhir tribe of Nagaland held its first-ever Log Drum Pulling Ceremony during the 25th Hornbill Festival 2024. The Tikhir tribe is an indigenous Naga tribe from Nagaland, with some members living in Myanmar. They speak Naga Yimchungru, a Tibeto-Burman language, and were once headhunters. Their livelihood is based on agriculture and hunting, but as a small tribe, they face harassment from larger tribes. Most Tikhirs have converted to Christianity, blending it with elements of their folk religion. Their main festival, “Tsonglaknyi,” is celebrated from 9th to 12th October, symbolizing the sanctification of shields.

Notes:
A team from JNU’s Special Centre for Molecular Medicine identified Heat Shock Protein 70 (Hsp70) as a key factor in diseases like malaria and Covid-19. Hsp70 is a molecular chaperone that helps proteins fold correctly and protects them from stress. It becomes elevated during cellular stress, aiding protein folding, preventing aggregation, and maintaining cell survival. The team found that Hsp70 interacts with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and ACE2 receptors, aiding viral entry. Inhibiting Hsp70 blocked viral replication in lab tests, suggesting it could help prevent drug resistance in infections.