Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2024

Notes:
In Telangana, the Project Swasthya Nagaram was launched in Hyderabad to create TB-Free Municipalities. This initiative involves the State Tuberculosis Cell, Municipal Corporations of Peerzadiguda, Boduppal, and Pocharam, and various partners including WHO and USAID. The project aims to reduce TB incidence and mortality by implementing a comprehensive TB care model in urban areas over three years. It includes free medical care and family counseling for TB patients.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered “dark oxygen,” a phenomenon where oxygen is produced in complete darkness thousands of feet below the ocean surface. This challenges the belief that oxygen is only created through photosynthesis, which requires sunlight. Traditionally, oceanic plankton, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria produce oxygen via photosynthesis. However, at these depths, oxygen is generated by polymetallic nodules resembling lumps of coal. Composed of metals like manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, and lithium, these nodules produce oxygen through electrochemical activity, splitting H2O molecules into hydrogen and oxygen without light.

Notes:
Recent outbreaks of listeria have been reported in the United States and Canada. Listeria monocytogenes, found in soil, vegetation, water, sewage, and animal and human feces, can contaminate food, leading to listeriosis. High-risk foods include milk, raw sprouts, deli meats, hot dogs, soft cheeses, and smoked seafood. Most people who ingest listeria do not develop symptoms, which can appear up to two months after consumption, complicating the identification of the infection source. Symptoms include vomiting, nausea, cramps, severe headache, constipation, and fever.

Notes:
In Mokokchung district, Nagaland, ‘Cassava villages’ are replacing plastics with compostable bioplastic bags made from Cassava starch, produced by the MSME Ecostarch. Cassava, a tropical crop native to South America, is known for its high starch content, making it ideal for bioplastics and bioethanol production. This plant thrives in warm, humid climates and well-drained soils, requiring over 100 cm of annual rainfall. Its versatility in growing conditions supports food security while providing an eco-friendly alternative to traditional plastics. Bioplastics, made from plant materials like Cassava, are biodegradable and compostable, reducing environmental impact.

Notes:
The Centre anticipates that approximately 273,000 additional trees will be cut down for mining in the Hasdeo Arand forests, despite the absence of a total mining prohibition. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change highlighted issues related to forest diversion in Hasdeo Arand, Chhattisgarh, and the Great Nicobar Island development project. A biodiversity assessment report revealed that 94,460 trees were felled for the Parsa East Kete Basen Mine, with over 5.3 million trees planted for compensatory afforestation. Hasdeo Arand, spanning 170,000 hectares, is a critical forest area with 23 coal blocks.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the 9th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre, New Delhi. The theme is Viksit Bharat@2047, focusing on making India a developed nation. Discussions will include the approach paper for the Vision Document on Viksit Bharat, fostering participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and States to enhance the quality of life. The meeting will address states’ roles in achieving this goal. With aspirations to become a $30 trillion economy by 2047, attendees include Chief Ministers, Union Ministers, and NITI Aayog members.

Notes:
The GROWTH-India Telescope recently made a remarkable observation, capturing a 116-meter, building-sized asteroid during its closest approach to Earth. As India’s first fully robotic optical research telescope, its primary mission is to observe explosive transients and variable sources, including near-Earth asteroids. Located at the Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh, at 4500 meters above sea level, it is among the highest observatory sites globally. Constructed through a partnership between the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and IIT Bombay, with support from DST and the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, it is part of the international GROWTH network, providing continuous monitoring of celestial events.

Notes:
Brazil recently reported the world’s first death due to the Oropouche virus. This virus, a segmented single-stranded RNA virus, circulates in Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is primarily transmitted to humans through the Culicoides paraensis midge or Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, found in forested areas and near water bodies. Symptoms are similar to dengue, including fever, headache, joint stiffness, pain, and nausea. There is no evidence of human-to-human transmission of the virus. Currently, no specific antiviral treatment or vaccine exists for Oropouche virus disease.

Notes:
Sixteen-year-old Jiya Rai from Mumbai became the youngest and fastest para swimmer to cross the English Channel, swimming 34 kilometers in 17 hours and 25 minutes on July 28-29, 2024. Jiya, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder and is the daughter of an Indian Navy personnel, also holds the record for crossing the Palk Strait. The English Channel separates England from France, first swum by Captain Matthew Webb in 1875.

Notes:
Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has launched the ‘Goem Vinamulya Vij Yevjan’ initiative to promote solar energy in the state, complementing the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. This scheme aims to increase solar rooftop installations for residential households. With an initial investment of ₹35 crore and a total outlay of ₹75,021 crore, it will help households generate their own electricity and reduce costs.