Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

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:
Nepal and China signed an MoU to develop the Trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network (THMDCN). THMDCN is an economic corridor under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. It includes projects like the China-Nepal railway, restoration of border ports, and highway construction. The initiative aims to enhance connectivity and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Notes:
A study in Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Conservation Area explored the human-Cape buffalo conflict in sub-Saharan Africa. Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is an aggressive species and one of the four subspecies of African buffalo. They are stocky with short, thick legs and have distinctive horns with fused bases, forming a “boss.” Cape buffalo live in swamps, floodplains, grasslands, and forests across southern and eastern Africa, preferring dense cover. They are herbivores, feeding on grasses, leaves, and plants, and are excellent swimmers. The species is classified as Near Threatened by the IUCN.

Notes:
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:
China launched the world’s first self-driving satellites, Siwei Gaojing-2 03 and Gaojing-2 04, marking a milestone in its commercial space program. Developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology (SAST), these satellites can autonomously adjust their flight paths without ground control. They feature synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and high-precision radar, allowing them to return to orbit with 100-meter accuracy and perform formation-flying at sub-meter precision. The satellites will provide all-weather radar imagery for industries like natural resource management, disaster response, agriculture monitoring, and urban safety.

Notes:
A new glacier was discovered in Uttarakhand’s Niti Valley, near the India-Tibet border. The glacier, about 10 km long and 48 sq km in size, is located next to the Randolph and Rekana glaciers. The discovery was made by scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology using satellite data. The glacier is ‘surging,’ meaning it is rapidly expanding in size. The phenomenon could be caused by hydrological imbalance, weakening the ice layers.

Notes:
The India Internet Governance Forum (IIGF) 2024 was held on December 9-10 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, supported by MeitY and NIXI. The event, under the theme “Innovating Internet Governance for India,” focused on bridging the digital divide, trust, safety, and advanced technologies. IIGF, established in 2021 as the Indian chapter of the UN IGF, fosters multi-stakeholder dialogue on Internet policies. It promotes secure, inclusive, and ethically governed Internet practices while addressing challenges like cybersecurity, digital inclusion, and data privacy. The forum emphasizes collaborative policymaking for a secure and accessible digital future.

Notes:
The Maharashtra government plans to propose Lonar Lake for UNESCO World Heritage status. Located in Buldhana district, Maharashtra, it is a lagoon created by a meteorite impact 50,000 years ago. It is the only known saline crater lake in the world, with water seven times saltier than seawater. The lake spans 1.2 kilometers in diameter and is 150 meters deep, surrounded by hills. Its color changes from green to pink due to microorganisms that thrive in the lake’s saline and alkaline environment.

Notes:
The Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries are two centrally located Protected Areas (PAs) of Assam. The Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries are crucial for the conservation of the greater one-horned rhinoceros, which has faced severe poaching threats. These sanctuaries serve as vital habitats and buffer zones for the nearby Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Recent conservation efforts, including habitat improvement and community support, aim to enhance the natural movement and population sustainability of rhinos within these protected areas. Collaborative training programs for wildlife staff also play a significant role in ensuring effective monitoring and protection of these endangered species.

Notes:
The Mount Kanlaon volcano in the Philippines erupted, leading to evacuations from nearby villages. It is the highest mountain on Negros Island and ranks 42nd among the tallest peaks on islands globally. Kanlaon is an active stratovolcano, part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. The summit, at 2,435 meters, features a broad caldera with a crater lake and a smaller, more active crater to the south. The volcano’s base spans 30 km by 14 km and is composed of volcanic materials like lava flows, lahar deposits, and pyroclastic materials.