Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
A microcontinent has been discovered in the Davis Strait, between Canada and Greenland. Formed millions of years ago due to tectonic plate shifts, it features a 19–24 km thick continental crust, now named the Davis Strait proto-microcontinent. The strait, spanning 650 km north to south and 200-400 miles wide, connects the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans via the Northwest Passage, but is impassable in winter due to ice.

Notes:
The Rajasthan government is organizing hold special camps to grant Indian citizenship to minority refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Simplified rules authorize district collectors to issue citizenship certificates. From 2016 to 2024, 2,329 refugees gained citizenship, with 1,566 applications pending. The Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019, offers citizenship to non-Muslim communities from these countries who entered India by December 31, 2014, exempting them from penalties under immigration laws.

Notes:
India aims to achieve $500 billion in electronics manufacturing by 2030, targeting $350 billion from finished goods and $150 billion from components. The NITI Aayog report, launched by Vice Chairman Suman Bery, analyzes the sector’s growth and challenges, highlighting a rise from $48 billion in 2017 to $101 billion in 2023, largely due to mobile phone manufacturing. The report outlines interventions needed for India to become a global electronics manufacturing hub.

Notes:
The Khelo India Rising Talent Identification (KIRTI) program targets school children aged 9-18, aiming to hunt talent nationwide and curb addiction through sports. Launched in 50 centers, it assesses 50,000 applicants across 10 sports. In FY 2024-25, it aims for 20 lakh assessments via Talent Assessment Centres. Using AI and IT for transparent selection, KIRTI promotes sports excellence and mass participation, supporting Khelo India’s twin objectives.

Notes:
The uncontacted Mashco Piro tribe was recently located in the remote Peruvian Amazon. With over 750 members, they are the largest uncontacted tribe in the Amazon and Southeast Asia. As nomadic hunter-gatherers, contact with them is prohibited to prevent disease spread. Established in 2002, the Madre de Dios Territorial Reserve was set up to protect their land, but much of it has been sold to companies for timber and other resources.

Notes:
India plans to enhance defense capabilities by constructing military airfields in the Lakshadweep islands, including a new airbase on Minicoy island and expanding Agatti island’s airfield. These dual-purpose airfields will support all fighter and transport aircraft, long-range drones, and commercial airlines. Aimed at countering Chinese activities and extending surveillance in the Arabian Sea, this Indian Air Force-led project will boost defense and tourism.

Notes:
The Romanian parliament approved the culling of nearly 500 brown bears to control overpopulation, shocking animal lovers worldwide. Brown bears, Europe’s largest carnivores, are omnivorous and fast, running at 30 mph. Found in diverse habitats, they play key roles as predators and seed dispersers. Romania hosts over 60% of Europe’s brown bears. Despite this, their conservation status is “Least Concern” by IUCN, and they’re listed in CITES Appendix I.

Notes:
Kerala has issued technical guidelines for diagnosing and managing amoebic meningoencephalitis. Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) is a rare, often fatal infection caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri, found in freshwater. Symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, and vomiting, typically after exposure to warm, stagnant freshwater. PAM has a high mortality rate over 97%. Treatment remains uncertain but should involve amebicidal drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier.

Notes:
Indian shooting legend Abhinav Bindra has been awarded the Olympic Order by the IOC for his outstanding contributions to the Olympic Movement. The ceremony will be held on August 10 during the 142nd IOC Session in Paris. Bindra, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, won the men’s 10m air rifle event at the 2008 Beijing Games. He has also served on the ISSF Athlete Committee and the IOC Athlete Commission.

Notes:
The FAO’s “State of the World’s Forests 2024” report, themed “Accelerating forest solutions through innovation,” highlights a decline in deforestation rates to 10.2 million ha per year in 2015–2020 from 15.8 million ha in 1990–2000. India ranks 3rd for average annual net forest area gain (2010-2020). Non-Timber Forest Products support 275 million Indian livelihoods. Innovation is crucial for climate resilience, bioeconomy shifts, and leveraging non-wood forest products’ nutritional benefits.