Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2024

Notes:
The Ministry of Education conducted the “Mera Pehla Vote Desh Ke Liye” from Feb 28 to Mar 6, 2024, aiming to engage and encourage youth in the electoral process. UGC Chairman M Jagadesh Kumar issued a call to inspire and mobilize first-time voters, urging all to support the campaign. The nationwide initiative, in collaboration with the Election Commission of India, seeks to raise electoral awareness among the youth, fostering universal enlightened participation in elections.

Notes:
Peru declares a health emergency as dengue fever cases surge. The government activates the emergency in 20 out of 25 regions due to the rapid rise in cases, totaling over 31,000 with 32 deaths. Health Minister Cesar Vasquez cites El Nino’s impact, causing high temperatures and heavy rains since 2023, facilitating mosquito breeding. The declaration expedites fund transfers to affected areas and facilitates the swift deployment of medical personnel.

Notes:
The National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) in Jaipur, India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Thailand in February 2024. The MoU is for academic collaboration in Ayurveda and Thai traditional medicine. The NIA also has collaborations with other universities, institutes, and organizations in countries like Malaysia and Korea.

Notes:
The Global Waste Management Outlook 2024, co-published by UNEP and ISWA, highlights key trends. Predictions indicate municipal solid waste will surge from 2.3 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050. The direct cost of global waste management, at USD 252 billion in 2020, is projected to nearly double by 2050 without immediate intervention. Barriers include insufficient urgency recognition, incomplete data, and climate impact underestimation, as well as gendered aspects, informal sector undervaluation, and inadequate legislation.

Notes:
Ghana’s parliament has endorsed the contentious Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, awaiting presidential approval. The legislation seeks to preserve traditional family values, criminalizing LGBTQ identification with potential three-year prison sentences. Advocates or supporters of LGBTQ activities may face up to five years in prison. Ghana currently prohibits gay acts, punishable by a maximum three-year jail term. The bill reflects a tightening stance on LGBTQ rights, sparking both domestic and international debates.

Notes:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has partnered with ISRO for the Urban Frame Survey (UFS) using Bhuvan. UFS, managed by the Field Operations Division (FOD) of NSSO, utilizes compact units in urban areas with 120-150 households. Executed in five-year phases, it acts as a sampling frame for large-scale socio-economic surveys. The digital implementation of UFS occurred for the first time during Phase 2017-22, employing the Bhuvan platform for data collection.

Notes:
PM Modi dedicated the HURL Sindri Fertilizer Plant in Jharkhand on March 1, 2024, addressing India’s urea demand. The nation requires 360 lakh metric tons yearly, but in 2014, produced only 225 lakh metric tons. Thanks to government efforts, production increased to 310 lakh metric tons in the last decade. Modi revealed plans to revive more plants by 2025, ensuring affordable fertilizers for farmers and generating employment opportunities for local youth, including the Talcher Fertilizer Plant.

Notes:
Nicaragua achieves a historic milestone by becoming the first Spanish-speaking nation to recognize the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) as the official book of standards for drugs manufactured and marketed in India. Published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and Rules 1945, IPC is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, dedicated to the timely publication of the IP.

Notes:
Customs officials seized a dual-use shipment suspected for Pakistan’s nuclear programs at Nhava Sheva Port, east of Mumbai, Maharashtra. Known as Jawaharlal Nehru Port, it’s India’s busiest port, handling half of the nation’s trade. Commissioned in 1989 to ease Mumbai’s congestion, it now boasts five terminals for containerized cargo and handles bulk liquid cargo. The port’s entry channel spans 21 km with a depth of 10.1 to 11 meters.

Notes:
Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of MoPSW & AYUSH, virtually inaugurated the ‘Ocean Grace,’ a 60T bollard pull tug, and a Medical Mobile Unit (MMU). Developed by Cochin Shipyard Limited under MoPSW, Ocean Grace is India’s first ASTDS Tug. The MMU is part of the port’s corporate social responsibility. The event, attended virtually by dignitaries like Shri Shripad Naik and Shantanu Thakur, aligns with PM Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ initiative.