Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
The Hindon River, once crucial for Western Uttar Pradesh, is now heavily polluted due to industrial and domestic waste. It has been declared a “dead river” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) due to severe health and environmental issues. Hindon is a tributary of Yamuna River. The river originates in the Lower Shivalik ranges, Saharanpur District, Uttar Pradesh, and flows for 400 km, merging with the Yamuna in Noida. It passes through cities like Saharanpur, Muzaffarnagar, Shamli, Baghpat, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddh Nagar.

Notes:
The latest Consumer Confidence Survey (CCS) by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows weakened consumer confidence in the economy, employment, income, and spending. The survey indicates that consumer optimism drives higher spending, while pessimism can lead to recession. It is released bi-monthly by RBI. It uses the Current Situation Index (CSI) and Future Expectation Index (FEI) as key indicators. The FEI improved by 0.5 points to 121.9, indicating higher optimism for future spending. The CSI declined by 0.7 points to 94 in November 2024, reflecting weaker sentiments, except in household spending.

Notes:
International Mountain Day is celebrated annually on December 11 to raise awareness about the importance of mountains for life. The day highlights opportunities and challenges in mountain development and promotes alliances for positive change for mountain communities and environments. Mountains are home to 15% of the global population and host nearly half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. The UN General Assembly designated December 11 as International Mountain Day in 2002. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN coordinates the annual celebration to enhance understanding of mountain-related issues.

Notes:
Japan won the 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship on December 10, 2024, by defeating South Korea 25-24 in a thrilling final. The Indian handball team secured sixth place at the 2024 Asian Women’s Handball Championship, matching the country’s best-ever finish. The tournament was hosted in India for the first time at the Indira Gandhi Arena, organized by the Asian Handball Federation and the World Handball League.

Notes:
NASA’s Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) mission revealed structures in the newly discovered X-ray binary system Swift J1727. IXPE is a collaboration between NASA and the Italian Space Agency. It was launched on December 9, 2021, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. It is NASA’s first mission focused on studying X-ray polarization from celestial objects. The mission helps study high-energy X-rays from objects like black holes, active galactic nuclei, microquasars, and supernova remnants. IXPE’s three telescopes feature polarization-sensitive X-ray detectors, offering new insights into cosmic X-ray sources.

Notes:
Dommaraju Gukesh, at 18, became the youngest chess world champion, surpassing Garry Kasparov’s record. He achieved this by defeating Ding Liren after a three-week battle in Singapore. Gukesh showed exceptional focus, minimal social media use, and meditative concentration during the tournament. Starting chess at 11, his dedication and obsession with becoming No. 1 set him apart. Despite setbacks in the championship, he responded with resilience and readiness to fight. Chess experts, including Susan Polgar, believe Gukesh has not yet reached his peak potential. He joins an elite lineage of chess champions, the youngest ever to do so.

Notes:
Researchers from Virginia Tech tagged a young shortfin mako shark in the Mediterranean Sea for the first time in summer 2023. The shark, a critically endangered species, was tagged during a white shark research expedition. The tag, called a “pop-off archival tag,” collects data on water temperature, depth, and light levels, estimating the shark’s movements. The tagged shark traveled over 750 miles in 54 days, showing young sharks cover vast distances. Protecting nursery areas alone may not suffice due to their extensive travels. Sharks are vital for ocean health, connecting habitats and supporting ecosystem balance, benefiting human activities.

Notes:
Birhor tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG) in Jharkhand, has joined a movement against child marriage in Giridih for the first time. Traditionally nomadic, they primarily reside in Jharkhand but are also found in Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and West Bengal. The term “Birhor” means “jungle people,” and their language belongs to the Munda group of the Austroasiatic family, related to Santali, Mundari, and Ho. They practice a mix of animism and Hinduism, with beliefs tracing their descent from the Sun. Economically, they engage in hunting, rope-making, and agriculture, with groups divided into nomadic Uthlus and settled Janghis.

Notes:
The SAMARTH Udyog Bharat 4.0 initiative, under the Ministry of Heavy Industries, aims to enhance competitiveness in India’s capital goods sector. It focuses on spreading awareness about Industry 4.0 technologies among manufacturers, vendors, and customers. Four SAMARTH Centres have been established: C4i4 Lab in Pune, IITD-AIA Foundation at IIT Delhi, I-4.0 India at IISc Bengaluru, and Smart Manufacturing Cell at CMTI Bengaluru. These centres assist industries, including MSMEs, by organizing seminars, providing training, and offering consultancy in IoT, software, and data analytics. No financial assistance is provided for adopting Industry 4.0 technologies under this initiative.

Notes:
The seventh Missile Cum Ammunition (MCA) Barge , LSAM 14 (Yard 82), was launched on December 12, 2024, at Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra, by M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, Visakhapatnam. The contract for eight Missile Cum Ammunition Barges was signed on February 19, 2021, with M/s SECON Engineering Projects Pvt Ltd, an MSME shipyard. These indigenously designed barges were developed with an Indian Ship Design firm and tested at Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, Visakhapatnam, for seaworthiness. Six barges have been delivered, supporting the Indian Navy’s transportation and operational needs. The project aligns with the “Make in India” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiatives.