Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2024

Notes:
By 2024, India has become the world’s second-largest mobile phone producer, shifting from 78% import-dependency in 2014 to 97% self-sufficiency. A mere 3% of total mobile phones sold are now imported, marking a significant transformation in the sector. This achievement underscores India’s remarkable growth in the electronics manufacturing ecosystem over the past decade.

Notes:
India successfully conducted the inaugural flight test of the Agni-5 nuclear ballistic missile on March 11, 2024, as part of the Make in India initiative by DRDO. The indigenously developed missile incorporates MIRV technology, allowing a single missile to deploy multiple warheads across different locations. Referred to as ‘Mission Divyastra’ by PM Modi, Agni-5 marks a significant advancement as it can simultaneously target multiple locations, in contrast to conventional missiles with a single warhead for a solitary target.

Notes:
Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi, India has been named the “Best Airport” in the Asia-Pacific region for six years in a row. The award is given by the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards, which measure passenger satisfaction using real-time surveys.

Notes:
According to report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India leads global arms imports with a 4.7% growth from 2014-2018 to 2019-2023. Russia remains India’s primary arms supplier, but its share fell below 50% for the first time since 1960-64. India sourced 36% of its arms imports from Russia. The US supplied 55% of Europe’s weapons, while Japan’s imports rose by 155%, and South Korea’s by 6.5%. China’s imports decreased by 44%.

Notes:
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting introduced Prasar Bharti – Shared Audio Visuals for Broadcast and Dissemination (PB-SHABD) along with revamped websites for DD News and Akashvani News, alongside an updated News on Air mobile app. PB-SHABD, a news sharing service by Prasar Bharati, offers daily news feeds in video, audio, text, photo, and more formats across fifty categories. The service, free for the first year, aims to provide news stories in major Indian languages, enhancing access to diverse media content.

Notes:
The 54th session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH) took place from March 11–15, 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya. The US government hosted the event, which was the first CCFH meeting in Kenya. At the session, India presented its recently released Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for Modernization of Food Streets. The SOP was presented along the lines of the proposed draft guidelines for Food Hygiene Control Measures in Traditional Markets for Food.

Notes:
Researchers recently discovered a new scorpion species, Euscorpiops Krachan, in Thailand’s Krachan National Park. Belonging to the subgenus Euscopiops, it exhibits typical features of this group, yet is notably smaller, measuring just over 1 inch. Brownish in color, females are darker than males, possessing eight eyes and legs. Like other Scorpiops genus members, it likely hunts through ambush tactics. This discovery highlights the biodiversity of mountainous regions.

Notes:
The Central Government appointed Rahul Singh as the Chairman of the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Singh, a 1996-batch IAS officer, is currently Additional Secretary at DoPT. He replaces Nidhi Chibber, who was recently appointed an advisor in NITI Aayog. The CBSE is India’s national secondary school board, which oversees both public and private institutions.

Notes:
IIT Delhi and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) join forces in applied research, reflecting IAI’s corporate social responsibility in India. The collaboration aims to foster innovation and technological advancement through joint projects, training, and research consultancy. Both entities strive to shape India’s technological landscape, aligning with IIT Delhi’s dedication to pioneering research.

Notes:
The Rajasthan government plans to bolster millet production by distributing free seeds to farmers. 1.2M farmers will receive maize seeds, 800K will get pearl millet, 700K mustard, 400K moong, and 100K sorghum and moth seeds. Rajasthan contributes 26% to India’s millet output, with 41% of the country’s bajra. The government initiated the Rajasthan Millet Promotion Mission in 2022-23, allocating Rs 40 crore to establish 100 processing units.