Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
The Supreme Court will review a plea against the Kerala High Court order allowing the Guruvayur temple administration to stop the “udayasthamana pooja” on Ekadasi due to crowd management concerns. Guruvayur Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, located in Kerala, is dedicated to Lord Krishna and is one of the largest temples in India by daily devotees. It may be over 5000 years old, with its earliest records from the 17th century. The temple is known for its traditional Kerala architecture, ancient murals, and unique rituals like Thulabharam. It also houses the Punnathur Kotta elephant sanctuary with 56 elephants.

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:
The Prime Minister launched the Kumbh Sah’AI’yak chatbot for Mahakumbh Mela 2025. Mahakumbh Mela 2025 will be held in Prayagraj from January 13th to February 26th, 2025. The chatbot blends culture and technology to enhance devotees’ experience. It offers text and voice interactions for a smooth and engaging experience. It aims to guide and update millions of attendees during the mega event.

Notes:
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope discovered a distant galaxy named Firefly Sparkle, 13 billion light-years away. This galaxy offers insights into the Milky Way’s early appearance, forming 100-400 million years before the observed stage. Firefly Sparkle contains 10 star clusters with a mass equivalent to 10 million suns, spanning 1,000 light-years in its visible region. It is part of a system with two smaller galaxies, Firefly-Best Friend and Firefly-New Best Friend. The discovery highlights the early stages of galaxy formation and evolution, providing a glimpse into cosmic history.

Notes:
The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, hosted the third edition of the “Viraasat Sari Festival 2024” from 15th to 28th December at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi. The event, which gained significant popularity in 2022-23 and 2023-24, saw around 20,000 visitors across age groups. The festival showcases unique handloom products like Paithani, Pochampally, Banarasi Brocade, Pashmina, and more. India’s handloom sector employs over 35 lakh people, mostly women, preserving cultural traditions. Government initiatives promote high-quality, eco-friendly handloom products with distinct identities and authenticity guarantees. The festival aims to boost market opportunities and earnings for the handloom community.

Notes:
The Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) for electronic negotiable warehouse receipts (e-NWRs) based Pledge Financing was launched to help small farmers avoid distress selling. It aims to provide credit to small farmers to prevent distress selling of crops. A corpus of Rs 1,000 crore is allocated for post-harvest finance. Farmers can avail loans against electronic negotiable warehouse receipts (e-NWRs) after storing commodities in WDRA-accredited warehouses. Loan coverage includes up to Rs 75 lakh for agricultural purposes and up to Rs 200 lakh for non-agricultural purposes. The scheme improves access to credit and supports farmers financially post-harvest.

Notes:
The report Waste to Worth: Managing India’s Urban Water Crisis through Wastewater Reuse was released jointly by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). It focuses on using wastewater treatment for water sustainability and circularity. India’s per capita freshwater availability is now below 1,700 cubic metres. Around 72% of urban wastewater remains untreated and ends up in rivers and lakes. 20% of groundwater blocks in India are overexploited or in critical condition. 55% of households have open or no drainage systems, adding to the water management challenges. The report stresses the importance of wastewater reuse to address the water crisis.

Notes:
Tulsi Gowda, an 86-year-old Padma Shri awardee and environmentalist from Karnataka, passed away in her Honnali village home in Uttara Kannada district. Revered as the “tree goddess” by the Halakki tribal community, she was known for her dedication to environmental conservation. Born in 1944, Gowda overcame early hardships, including losing her father at two and growing up in poverty. She worked as a laborer at a forest nursery, gaining deep knowledge of forests despite no formal education. Known as the “encyclopedia of forest,” she identified mother trees and contributed significantly to afforestation, wildlife protection, and preventing forest fires. She served the Karnataka Forest Department for 50 years, 35 years as a daily wage worker and 15 as a permanent staff member.

Notes:
Moldova recently signed the International Solar Alliance (ISA) Framework Agreement to advance renewable energy efforts. The ISA, founded in 2015 during COP21 by India and France, is headquartered in Gurugram, India. Its mission, guided by the ‘Towards 1000’ strategy, includes mobilizing $1,000 billion in solar investments, providing energy access to 1,000 million people, and installing 1,000 GW of solar capacity by 2030. The ISA Assembly, its apex decision-making body, oversees policy and framework implementation.

Notes:
Wroughton’s free-tailed bat, a rare molossus bat, was recently spotted at Delhi’s Yamuna Biodiversity Park. It has large size, big ears, bicoloured velvet fur, and is a strong flier. It roosts in caves or dark, damp places in moderate colonies. It is mainly found in the Western Ghats, with small colonies in Meghalaya and a single sighting in Cambodia. It is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. It plays a crucial role in insect regulation and pollination.