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:
The Jal Shakti Ministry has partnered with 12 technical education institutions to collaborate on academic and research initiatives for basin management of six rivers: Narmada, Godavari, Mahanadi, Krishna, Cauvery, and Periyar, as part of the National River Conservation Plan. Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat highlighted successful efforts in cleaning the Ganga, earning UNESCO recognition for the Namami Gange Mission. Emphasizing river conservation as a mass movement, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Arth Ganga principle links it to livelihood, urging increased inter-state cooperation.

Notes:
The Prime Minister inaugurated the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock at Jantar Mantar, Ujjain. A world-first ‘Vedic Clock,’ it displays time using the traditional Indian Panchang. Positioned on an 85-foot tower, it also provides planetary positions, Muhurat, astrological calculations, IST, and GMT. Developed by Lucknow-based Sanstha Arohan, it connects to the internet via a mobile app. Ujjain, with its rich timekeeping heritage, is an ideal location due to its historical role in determining India’s time zones and its location at the interaction point of the zero meridian and Tropic of Cancer.

Notes:
The DRDO successfully tested the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile, a fourth-gen MANPAD developed indigenously in collaboration with Indian industry partners. Designed for short-range air defense, it boasts a 6-km range and features innovative technologies like a Dual-band IIR Seeker, miniaturized Reaction Control System, and integrated avionics. The portable missile, propelled by a dual-thrust solid motor, aims to safeguard ground forces and critical assets against low-altitude aerial threats, showcasing DRDO’s prowess in defense development.

Notes:
The UN Secretary-General emphasizes the urgent need for increased funding to support Small Island Developing States (SIDS) facing climate change. Comprising 39 States and 18 Associate Members, SIDS, located in the Caribbean, Pacific, and AIS regions, exhibit unique vulnerabilities. Recognized as a special case in 1992, they suffer from low economic diversification, dependence on tourism, and high debt stress. The UN has established action programs like the Barbados Programme of Action and SAMOA Pathway to address SIDS’ challenges.

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:
Italian archaeologists recently uncovered a 5,000-year-old cemetery from the Copper Age, shedding light on this transitional period between the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The Copper Age, spanning 5,000 to 2,000 years ago, witnessed the emergence of metallurgy, particularly copper usage. Chalcolithic farmers engaged in agriculture, long-distance trade, and built distinctive polychrome painted pottery. The period marked the onset of societal complexities, with houses showcasing various architectural patterns. The discovery offers insights into early social structures and technological advancements before the advent of the Bronze Age.

Notes:
Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal unveiled the ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ initiative in New Delhi, aiming to make the agriculture sector the cornerstone of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047. The digital gateway, developed by the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA), streamlines farmers’ warehousing logistics through technology, ensuring fair prices for produce. Goyal also announced a reduction in security deposit charges at WDRA warehouses, from three percent to one percent, encouraging more farmers, particularly small-scale ones, to utilize the facilities and boost their income.

Notes:
Professors and students from the University of Madras discovered a Neolithic child burial site in Chettimedu Pathur, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu. The team said that burials from the Neolithic period, which lasted from 5000–1500 BCE, are rare. The burial site also contained a pot that likely dates back to the Neolithic period.The Neolithic, or New Stone Age, was the final division of the Stone Age in Europe, Asia, and Africa. It began around 12,000 years ago and lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic, which was marked by the development of metallurgy.

Notes:
Keyi Panyor, Arunachal Pradesh’s 26th district, emerged from Lower Subansiri, fulfilling a longstanding demand of the Nyishi community. Ter Gapin-Sam Sarth is appointed as its headquarters. Chief Minister Pema Khandu lauded the district’s creation, foreseeing a developmental epoch. Acknowledging its agricultural and horticultural potential, Khandu pledged government support.