Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
China has unveiled the world’s first dual-tower solar thermal power plant (TPP), enhancing energy efficiency by 24%. The plant features two 200-meter towers with thousands of mirrors that track the sun, achieving 94% reflection efficiency. It uses molten salt storage to retain excess heat, enabling continuous power generation even at night. This innovative design maximizes energy capture and storage, advancing solar power technology.

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:
Armenia’s interest in India’s Pralay missile presents a significant opportunity for India. The Pralay missile is a 350-500 km short-range, quasi-ballistic surface-to-surface missile with a 500-1,000 kg payload, developed by DRDO for defense needs. It features solid-fuel propulsion, inertial guidance, and a DSMAC seeker for terminal guidance. Capable of evasive maneuvers, it has various warhead options and a reduced radar signature.

Notes:
India Child Protection (ICP) released the “Towards Justice: Ending Child Marriage” report. ICP, part of the Child Rights and Multi-Faith Initiative, addresses child abuse, trafficking, digital exploitation, and child marriage. Key findings: Assam’s legal measures reduced child marriages by 81% from 2021-22 to 2023-24. Despite three girls marrying every minute (Census 2011), only three cases are reported daily. In 2023-24, 14,137 child marriages were prevented. With a 92% case backlog, clearing it could take 19 years.

Notes:
World Chess Day, celebrated annually on July 20th, marks the establishment of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) in Paris in 1924. UNESCO proposed this day in 1966, recognizing chess for its intellectual benefits and cultural diversity. Originating in India as “Chaturanga” nearly 1500 years ago, chess is promoted as a game for all ages and backgrounds. FIDE was founded by chess organizations from eight countries.

Notes:
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, on July 3, 2024, to establish the ‘BIS Standardization Chair Professor.’ This initiative aims to foster collaboration between BIS and IISc, promoting activities in Standardization and Conformity Assessment. It seeks to integrate Indian standards into academic curricula and strengthen the partnership between academic and research institutions.

Notes:
Uttarakhand became the first state in India to introduce the Gross Environment Product (GEP) index, which measures the impact of developmental activities on the environment. Launched by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the GEP equation is based on air, water, soil, and forest quality indices. This initiative follows Uttarakhand’s top rank in Sustainable Development Goals and aims to balance economy and ecology by assessing environmental conditions directly affected by development.

Notes:
China and the Philippines have agreed to defuse tensions over the contested Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin) in the South China Sea. This submerged reef, part of the Spratly Islands, was claimed by the Philippines in 1999. China asserts sovereignty based on the Nine-dash line, conflicting with the EEZs of several countries. The Philippines won a 2016 ruling against China’s claims, but China rejected the judgment.

Notes:
The Haryana government launched a registry initiative to address issues related to Lal Dora properties in urban areas under the Chief Minister Urban Body Ownership Scheme. Established in 1908, Lal Dora lands were exempt from building bylaws, complicating ownership proof and transactions. The state aims to free villages from these restrictions, allowing property rights. The Svamitva Scheme will streamline ownership, with the Chief Minister distributing certificates and registries in Gurugram.

Notes:
The Economic Survey noted the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) conflicts with the Paris Agreement’s spirit. CBAM is an EU tariff on carbon-intensive products, ensuring imported goods pay for their carbon emissions, aligning their carbon price with domestic products. EU importers must buy carbon certificates based on embedded emissions. This encourages cleaner production globally by pricing carbon emissions fairly. CBAM aims to prevent undermining the EU’s climate objectives.