Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2024

Notes:
India’s first digital museum, “Abhay Prabhavana,” made of Jaisalmer stones, has opened in Maharashtra. It is located on the banks of the Indrayani River on the Mumbai-Pune highway in Pune district. Built by the Firodia Institute of Philosophy Culture and History, it spans 50 acres near 2200-year-old Pale Jain caves. The museum showcases the life of 24 Jain Tirthankaras and their messages using advanced technology in 30 galleries. Construction took 12 years and cost over ₹400 crore, featuring a 100-foot tall pillar and manuscripts over 1,000 years old. The aim is to preserve Jain heritage, promote its teachings, and highlight Jain contributions to society.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence launched the ‘Rashtraparv’ website and mobile app. It provides citizens easy access to information on national festivals organized by the ministry. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh highlighted its convenience for staying informed about events. The platform aims to offer details for participation and learning about national celebrations. It ensures accessibility, real-time updates, and a user-friendly experience. Citizens can get comprehensive event details at their fingertips through this initiative.

Notes:
Rwanda has declared its first-ever Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak over, with 42 days without new cases, confirmed by WHO. MVD is a severe, often fatal hemorrhagic fever caused by the Marburg virus, with no approved vaccines or treatments. First identified in 1967 in Marburg, Germany, linked to infected green monkeys. Outbreaks are mainly in sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Ghana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe. The virus is transmitted from fruit bats to humans, spreading through direct contact with infected bodily fluids or contaminated surfaces.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and UP CM Yogi Adityanath unveiled a statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee at Kudiya Ghat, Lucknow, on December 25, 2024. The event honored Vajpayee’s legacy as a Bharat Ratna and former Prime Minister of India. Sculptor Amarpal Singh was felicitated for crafting the statue.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 45th edition of PRAGATI, a platform for pro-active governance and timely implementation. Eight major projects worth over ₹1 lakh crore were reviewed, including six metro projects, one road connectivity, and one thermal power project. States were directed to enhance rooftop solar installations under PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana with improved vendor ecosystems and quicker processes. PRAGATI has reviewed 363 projects worth ₹19.12 lakh crore across 45 editions. PRAGATI is a multi-purpose platform launched on March 25, 2015. It addresses common people’s grievances while monitoring key government programs and projects. The platform reviews both central and state government projects. It promotes e-transparency and e-accountability among stakeholders.

Notes:
China approved building the world’s largest hydropower dam near the Indian border, raising concerns in India and Bangladesh. The dam will be constructed at a Himalayan gorge where the Yarlung Zangbo River (Brahmaputra) turns sharply before flowing into Arunachal Pradesh and Bangladesh. The project, costing over 1 trillion yuan ($137 billion), will generate over 300 billion kWh annually, surpassing the Three Gorges Dam’s 88.2 billion kWh capacity. It forms part of China’s 14th Five-Year Plan and long-term goals for 2035. Located on a tectonic plate boundary, the site poses significant earthquake risks.

Notes:
Archaeologists urged the Tamil Nadu government to halt tungsten mining in Arittapatti due to its rich archaeological and ecological significance. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) president Anbumani Ramadoss proposed declaring the 5,000-acre area a ‘protected biodiversity zone.’ Arittapatti, in Madurai, is Tamil Nadu’s first Biodiversity Heritage Site. It hosts Indian pangolins, slender lorises, pythons, and 250 bird species, including raptors like the Laggar Falcon, Shaheen Falcon, and Bonelli’s Eagle. The village holds historical treasures, including 2,200-year-old megalithic structures, Tamil Brahmi inscriptions, Jain beds, and rock-cut temples.

Notes:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) conducted two consecutive Household Consumption Expenditure Surveys (HCES) after the Covid-19 pandemic. The first survey spanned August 2022 to July 2023, with summary results released in February 2024 and a detailed report in June 2024. The second survey covered August 2023 to July 2024, with its summary results published as a factsheet on the MoSPI website. The latest Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES) indicates that the average Monthly Per Capita Consumption Expenditure (MPCE) gap between urban and rural areas decreased to 69.7% in 2023-24 from 71.2% in the previous year. This decline reflects improved consumption growth in rural regions, influenced by government support and post-COVID recovery. The survey covered 261,953 households and provides critical data for understanding poverty and inequality in India.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh government has declared Ratha Saptami as a state festival to be celebrated at the Sri Suryanarayana Swamy temple in Arasavalli, Srikakulam district. The decision was made after the Endowments Commissioner proposed that the festival be recognized as a state event.  The festival will be celebrated for three days.  The decision was made to recognize the festival’s cultural and spiritual significance. The festival is also known as the Festival of the Sun and marks the Sun’s symbolic movement towards the northern hemisphere.

Notes:
Pokhara, Nepal, is hosting its first International Balloon Festival from December 24, 2024, to January 2, 2025. The event takes place in the scenic Pame region and features more than 20 international pilots and 30 countries participating. More than 500 commercial flights and 300 non-commercial flights are expected, offering stunning views of the Annapurna, Machhapuchhre, and Dhaulagiri mountains. Each 40-minute flight covers 3 km from Lauruk to Chankhapur, with around 3,000 passengers. The festival aims to boost tourism recovery and is estimated to cost Rs 68.3 million.