Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2024

Notes:
Sharath Kamal, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist in Table Tennis, will lead the Indian contingent as the flag bearer at the Paris Summer Olympics 2024, announced by the Indian Olympic Committee. The 32nd Summer Olympics will take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11. Mary Kom, a bronze medalist in the 2012 London Olympics, will serve as the Chef De Mission, and Shiva Keshavan as the deputy Chef de Mission, supporting and representing the team.

Notes:
Garuda Aerospace launched the Border Patrol Surveillance Drone, ‘Trishul. Trishul monitors people, natural disasters, and traffic. It features state-of-the-art cameras, infrared technology, radar sensors, and data gathering capabilities for security threats. The launch showcases Garuda Aerospace’s dedication to pioneering drone technology for surveillance purposes, emphasizing their commitment to excellence in product development and service provision.

Notes:
World Meteorological Day, celebrated annually on March 23, highlights environmental awareness and human impact on Earth. It marks the founding of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The objective is to raise awareness about meteorology and its ongoing changes. The 2024 theme, “At the frontline of climate action,” emphasizes the vital role of meteorology in addressing climate change globally.

Notes:
Bina Agarwal and James Boyce, recipients of the inaugural “Global Inequality Research Award,” are recognized for their profound insights into worldwide inequalities, notably in social and environmental domains. They will be honored at conferences in Paris in fall and spring 2024, hosted alongside Sciences Po’s Social-Ecological Transitions initiative. Their work highlights pivotal understandings crucial for addressing pressing global disparities.

Notes:
In Delhi, the Barakhamba Cemetery, now Ghalib Park, has vanished, leaving only a few worn graves. Across India, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) plans to remove 18 monuments from its list of protected sites due to lack of “national importance”. Nine are in Uttar Pradesh, two each in Delhi, Rajasthan, and Haryana. The list also encompasses Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. This marks ASI’s first delisting effort in decades.

Notes:
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare introduced ‘Kalpa Suvarna,’ a new dwarf coconut variety, and two cocoa hybrids by CPCRI. ‘Kalpa Suvarna’ is optimal for tender coconut and copra production, blooming 30-36 months after planting. Its fruits are large, oblong, green, with tender nut water content of 431ml, copra content of 186g, and 64.5% oil. Yielding 108 to 130 nuts yearly, it suits Karnataka and Kerala. The cocoa hybrids, VTL CH I and VTL CH II, have high fat and nutrient contents, with CH I suitable for intercropping in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh, and CH II resistant to black pod rot, fitting high rainfall regions.

Notes:
The 2nd Employment Working Group (EWG) meeting, led by Brazil, convened in Brasilia with India’s participation. Ms. Sumita Dawra, Secretary of Labour & Employment, India, co-chairs alongside Brazil and South Africa. The meeting’s focus includes quality employment, just transition amidst digital transformations, technology’s role in enhancing life quality, and gender equity in workplaces. The Indian delegation emphasized inclusivity, advocating for equal representation and empowerment irrespective of demographics.

Notes:
A citizen scientist recently discovered the 5,000th comet using Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) data. SOHO, a collaboration between ESA and NASA, launched in 1995 to study the Sun from the first Lagrangian Point. Equipped with 12 scientific instruments, it continuously observes the solar atmosphere, helioseismology, and solar wind. Despite its mission ending in 1998, SOHO persists, providing invaluable insights into the Sun’s dynamics and discovering numerous comets, making it the longest-lasting Sun-watching satellite.

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:
World Meteorological Day on March 23 commemorates the establishment of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1950, recognizing meteorologists’ vital role. Recently, a METOC seminar named “Meghayan-24” was organized by the School of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology and Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre. Admiral R Hari Kumar emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change, aligning with WMO’s theme “At the Frontline of Climate Action.” Indian Navy commits to sustainable policies integrating climate considerations into security strategies.