Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
Several high-street banks have restricted opening accounts for firms less than a year old due to suspicions of money mule activities linked to laundering and digital fraud. A money mule transfers illegally acquired money for criminals, aiding in laundering proceeds from crimes like human trafficking and drug trafficking. Criminals use fake job adverts or social media posts to recruit money mules, who move funds via bank accounts, checks, virtual currency, or prepaid cards.

Notes:
The Global Conclave on Plastic Recycling and Sustainability (GCPRS) commenced at Bharat Mandapam, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi with Chief Guest Smt. Nivedita Shukla Verma inaugurating. Key attendees included AIPMA and CPMA leaders. Verma highlighted the need for collaborative efforts and government initiatives like the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016. Smt. Mercy Epao emphasized MSME’s support. The conference aims to address plastic waste management, with India’s industry projected to reach $6.9 billion by 2033.

Notes:
The 1st International Conference on Steel Slag Road was held in New Delhi by CSIR, where NITI Aayog released guidelines for using steel slag in road construction. This technology repurposes steel production waste, creating strong, durable, and eco-friendly roads. Processed steel slag offers high strength, hardness, abrasion resistance, and drainage capacity. It can partially meet India’s annual demand for 1.8 billion tonnes of natural aggregates. India’s first steel slag road was built in Surat.

Notes:
A lone female gharial has been spotted for over three years in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Gharials, or Gavialis gangeticus, are freshwater crocodiles once widespread across South Asia but now found mainly in fragmented populations in Nepal and northern India. They are critically endangered, with a global population reduced to a few hundred. Males can reach 20 feet, while females grow up to 15 feet.

Notes:
The Ministry of Science and Technology launched the Indo-French Liver and Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN) with the French government. InFLiMeN, based at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences in New Delhi, is a joint research program promoting scientific exchanges and collaborative projects to combat liver and metabolic disorders. Notably, every third Indian has fatty liver, which precedes Type 2 Diabetes, highlighting InFLiMeN’s significance in addressing this issue.

Notes:
The Indian “Iron-Dome” Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) is competing with China’s Sky Dragon-50 for an order from Brazil. Developed by India’s DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Ltd, Akash SAM defends against air threats, including fighter jets and ballistic missiles. It operates with the Indian Army and Air Force, featuring a Rajendra radar for target guidance. Akash SAM is mobile, automatic, and adaptable, with capabilities to engage multiple targets simultaneously up to 45 km away.

Notes:
The Ministry of Culture has launched Project PARI (Public Art of India) in conjunction with the 46th World Heritage Committee Meeting in New Delhi from July 21-31, 2024. Executed by Lalit Kala Akademi and National Gallery of Modern Art, this initiative aims to blend India’s rich artistic heritage with modern themes. Over 150 artists will create public artworks, democratizing art and enhancing cultural engagement nationwide.

Notes:
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) launched its first integrated tribal development program in Kulathupuzha Gram Panchayat, Kollam, on July 8. Implemented by Thanal, the five-year project aims to enhance the livelihoods of 413 tribal families through diverse agricultural and non-agricultural activities. It includes water resource development, skill training, and the creation of a Tribal Farmer Producer Company (FPO) to empower the community economically.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh government has launched ‘Mitra Van’ under Vriksharopan Jan Abhiyan-2024, aiming to plant 35 crore saplings along the Uttar Pradesh-Nepal border. Coordinated by the Forest Department, the campaign will involve 35 forest divisions and neighboring state dignitaries. Key districts include Saharanpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Maharajganj. Additional initiatives like ‘Shakti Van’ and ‘Yuva Van’ will also be established. The campaign starts on July 20.

Notes:
The Salazar Pit Viper, named after Salazar Slytherin from the ‘Harry Potter’ series, was discovered in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. Pit vipers are venomous snakes with heat-sensitive pit organs that detect infrared radiation from prey. Found in diverse habitats, they are mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, especially Asia and the Americas. The Salazar Pit Viper, first identified in Arunachal Pradesh in 2019, is nocturnal, and males have distinctive orange-to-reddish stripes.