Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2024

Notes:
Nishant, a young poet and critic, is awarded the 29th Devi Shankar Awasthi Award in 2023 for his book ‘Kavita Pathak Aalochna’. The selection committee, comprising esteemed writers like Mridula Garg and Sudhir Chandra, unanimously chose Nishant. Established in 1995, this honor, named after Hindi literary critic Devi Shankar Awasthi, recognizes young critics for their significant contributions to Hindi criticism. Nishant’s work exemplifies excellence in both criticism and poetry.

Notes:
IIT Madras has unveiled ‘NeoStand,’ an indigenous electric standing wheelchair, claimed as India’s most customizable. Launched on March 20 at the campus, it offers motorized standing with navigation. Professor Sujatha Srinivasan led its development under TTK Center for Rehabilitation Research. She also led ‘Arise,’ India’s first manual standing wheelchair, and ‘NeoBolt,’ the first motorized add-on. Commercialized through NeoMotion, an IIT Madras-incubated startup, it aims to benefit wheelchair users with ease of switching between sitting and standing.

Notes:
M.V. Rao, MD & CEO of Central Bank of India, elected as Indian Bank Association (IBA) chairman for 2023-24, succeeding Atul Kumar Goel of Punjab National Bank. Goel served as chairman for 2021-22 and 2022-23. The IBA’s Managing Committee elected office bearers for 2023-24 in a meeting on March 21, 2024.

Notes:
World Tuberculosis Day, observed annually on March 24th, aims to raise global awareness about tuberculosis (TB), a contagious lung disease. The theme for 2024 is “Yes! We can end TB,” emphasizes efforts to eradicate this deadly disease through awareness and sustained action. The date commemorates Dr. Robert Koch’s discovery of TB bacteria in 1882, leading to improved understanding, diagnosis, and treatment. Since 1983, World TB Day has been observed worldwide to combat TB.

Notes:
Senior Indian diplomat Abhay Thakur, a 1992-batch officer of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Myanmar. This was announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on March 26. Thakur, currently an Officer on Special Duty in the MEA, previously served as sous-sherpa for the G20 process during India’s presidency. His appointment comes amid Myanmar’s ongoing unrest following a military coup in February 2021, marking a crucial time for India-Myanmar relations.

Notes:
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) completed the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh. This 298-km road connects Manali to Leh via Darcha and Nimmu on Kargil – Leh Highway. It’s the third axis linking Ladakh to the hinterland, alongside Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes. Notably, the road is shorter and crosses only one pass, Shinkun La (16,558 feet), where tunnel work by BRO is set to begin.

Notes:
India recently applied to the International Seabed Authority (ISBA) for rights to explore the Afanasy Nikitin Seamount (AN Seamount) in the Indian Ocean. AN Seamount is a 400 km-long and 150 km-wide feature rich in cobalt, nickel, manganese, and copper. It lies 3,000 km from India’s coast, rising 1200 m above the ocean floor. Seamounts, formed through volcanic activity near mid-ocean ridges, are hotspots for marine life, with potential for active resource extraction.

Notes:
Thailand’s lower house of parliament approved a marriage equality bill, signaling a step towards legalizing same-sex marriage in Southeast Asia. Supported by 400 out of 415 lawmakers, it awaits approval from the upper house. If passed, Thailand would be the third Asian nation to legalize gay marriage. This historic decision marks a significant milestone in the region’s LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Notes:
India’s National Disaster Management Authority official, Kamal Kishore, appointed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as special representative for disaster risk reduction. Kishore (55), currently serving as NDMA’s secretary to the government of India, succeeds Mami Mizutori. Appointed assistant secretary-general and special representative of the secretary-general for disaster risk reduction at UNDRR, Kishore’s role is crucial in global disaster mitigation efforts, announced by the UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.

Notes:
Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) has operationalized 1,000 MW of solar energy at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park in the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat. Covering 726 square kilometers, it’s the world’s largest hybrid renewable energy park, featuring windmills and solar panels. Fully operational by December 2026, it’s set to be visible from space. Expected to generate 30 GW of clean energy, it could power 16.1 million homes annually, avoiding 58mn tonnes of CO2 emissions, at a cost of $2.26 billion.