Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
The 1st edition of Joint Table Top Exercise, CINBAX, conducted at Foreign Training Node, Pune, between the Indian and Cambodian Armies. The exercise focuses on joint Counter Terrorism (CT) operations under the UN Charter, with personnel from both armies participating. The exercise has three phases: orientation, Table Top exercises, and finalization of plans. It aims to enhance trust, interoperability, and showcase India’s indigenous defense capabilities.

Notes:
The National Tiger Conservation Authority has approved Madhav National Park in Madhya Pradesh as a tiger reserve. The park is located in the northern Central Highlands, part of the Upper Vindhyan Hills, with plateaus and valleys. It includes two lakes, Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Sagar, supporting aquatic biodiversity and terrestrial species. The park’s drainage flows north and northeast, forming the catchment for the Amarnadi and Sind rivers. The eastern part has Vindhyan system sedimentary rocks, including sandstone, shale, and limestone.

Notes:
A tiger from Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh traveled 400 km to Achanakmar Tiger Reserve in Chhattisgarh. Achanakmar Tiger Reserve is located in Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh. It was established in 1975, and declared a tiger reserve in 2009. It is part of the Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve and connects to Kanha and Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserves via a corridor. The Maniyari River flows through the reserve, sustaining the forest. The reserve hosts the Baiga tribe, a “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG),” with 25 villages in its core area.

Notes:
The World Maritime Technology Conference (WMTC) held in Chennai from December 4 to 6, 2024. This marks the first return to India in 15 years, with the previous event held in Mumbai. The conference covers critical topics such as climate change, sustainability, and geopolitical dynamics impacting the maritime industry. The last edition took place in Copenhagen in April 2022, with previous hosts including Shanghai, Houston, and St. Petersburg.

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 mass die-off of nearly 400 elephants in Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2020 was linked to climate change-induced toxic algal blooms. Researchers found that elephants drank from contaminated waterholes where cyanobacteria thrived due to a shift from a very dry year to an extremely wet one. This environmental change led to the proliferation of harmful toxins in stagnant water, resulting in the deaths of elephants across the region. The study emphasizes the need for monitoring water quality to prevent similar ecological disasters. Okavango Delta is located in Botswana. It is both UNESCO World Heritage Site and Ramsar Wetland.

Notes:
The YesToAccess app, developed by the Association of People with Disability (APD), is India’s first AI-enabled tool for conducting accessibility audits. Launched during the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, it allows users to assess public spaces by photographing structures and analyzing features like ramps and signage. This initiative aims to promote barrier-free environments and enhance inclusivity, empowering citizens to contribute to accessibility improvements across India as part of the Accessible India Campaign.

Notes:
The 63rd Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine (ISAM) held at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), Bengaluru, from December 5–7, 2024. Established in 1952, ISAM is India’s only registered society dedicated to aerospace medicine. The conference theme is “Collaborate for Research,” focusing on interdisciplinary cooperation in aviation and space medicine. The event features more than 300 attendees, including experts from DRDO, ISRO, and aerospace medicine professionals.

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.

Notes:
Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan launched PMeVIDYA Channel 31, a 24×7 platform dedicated to Indian Sign Language (ISL). The channel promotes ISL as both a language and school subject, ensuring inclusivity for children with hearing impairments. NEP 2020 prioritizes education for Children with Special Needs (CwSN) and standardizes ISL nationally while respecting local sign languages. ISL-based learning content covers school curricula, career guidance, skill training, and mental health, accessible on TV and YouTube. The initiative fosters inclusivity, aligns with constitutional rights, and aims to create global benchmarks and employment opportunities for the hearing-impaired community.