Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2024

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched India’s inaugural indigenous green hydrogen fuel cell inland waterway vessel in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi under the Harit Nauka initiative. This project, a gift from Tamil Nadu to Kashi, signifies India’s commitment to innovative green energy solutions. Hydrogen fuel cells, pivotal in transportation, material handling, stationary, portable, and emergency backup power, play a crucial role in India’s push for sustainable and cost-effective alternate fuels.

Notes:
Despite the recent India-Nepal agreement, the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) discussions remain deadlocked. Established through the Mahakali Treaty in 1996, the PMP is a cross-border hydropower initiative on the Mahakali River. With the goal of enhancing energy production and irrigation in both nations, it features a 315-meter dam (Sharda in India), aiming to generate 6,480 MW equally shared. Additionally, it targets irrigating 130,000 hectares in Nepal and 240,000 hectares in Indian Territory.

Notes:
The National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (NICDC) and the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (FITT-IITD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help identify the best places in India to develop Greenfield industrial smart cities. The collaboration aims to contribute to India’s goal of becoming a $5 trillion economy. It emphasizes the role of technology, research, and collaboration in building a strong and lasting future.

Notes:
Union Minister of Women & Child Development Smriti Irani revealed the logo and website for the Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality in a ceremony attended by Bill Gates and Chandrajit Banerjee. Emphasizing India’s leadership in women’s empowerment, Irani highlighted international support garnered at Davos. Launched at Davos 2024, the alliance aligns with PM Narendra Modi’s vision for women-led development. Focused on SDGs, it seeks to consolidate practices, exchange knowledge, and attract investments in women’s health, education, and entrepreneurship.

Notes:
The Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority recently partnered with an Indian company to construct “Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems” on Delft, Neduntheevu, Nainativu, and Analaitivu islands near Jaffna peninsula. Nainativu Island, located in the Palk Strait near Jaffna, holds historical significance and is a pilgrimage site for Hindus and Buddhists. Notably, it houses the Nagapooshani Amman Kovil, a historic Hindu temple dedicated to the principal goddess Amman, identified with the renowned Tamil deity Meenakshi. The Mahavamsa mentions Buddha’s second visit to the island.

Notes:
Article 371A of the Indian Constitution is a major obstacle to regulating coal mining in Nagaland. This provision protects Naga tribes’ customs, traditions, and religious practices from external interference. It also allows the continuation of indigenous legal systems and traditional methods of justice. Article 371A has made it difficult for the government to oversee small-scale mining, especially after recent fatalities in a rat-hole mine explosion. Rat-hole mining is a hazardous way of extracting coal by creating small tunnels just large enough for a person to crawl through.

Notes:
Indian scientists at the Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) have developed a new wound dressing material from banana fibers. The material is a multifunctional patch that combines banana fibers with biopolymers like chitosan and guar gum. The patch has excellent mechanical strength and antioxidant properties.

Notes:
The Defence Minister is set to inaugurate two piers and seven towers, providing 320 homes for Navy officers and Defence civilians at Naval Base Karwar, Karnataka, under Project Seabird—the largest naval infrastructure project in India. Conceived in the early 1980s and sanctioned in 1985, the project spans 11,000 acres, featuring a deep-sea harbour, breakwaters, a township, a naval hospital, and more. Once completed, it will be the largest naval base in the Eastern Hemisphere, accommodating warships, submarines, and aircraft.

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu introduced the “Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojna,” a groundbreaking initiative empowering women aged 18 to 60. Eligible beneficiaries will receive a ₹1,500 monthly stipend, totaling ₹800 crore annually. Envisioned to aid over five lakh women, the scheme aims to provide crucial financial support, marking a significant step towards women’s empowerment in the state.

Notes:
Researchers recently identified a new flowering plant species, Begonia Narahari, in Arunachal Pradesh. This Begonia naraharii, discovered in the Lohit district, is distinguished by its vibrant blue iridescence under direct light. Named in honor of Prof. Garikapati Narahari Sastry, the former CSIR-NEIST director, the species is part of the Begoniaceae family. Due to scarce global population data, it is provisionally classified as Data Deficient according to IUCN guidelines, emphasizing the need for further research and conservation efforts.