Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
A study mapped Afghanistan’s five river basins, each crucial for irrigation and regional dynamics. Notably, the Harirod-Murghab, originating in central mountains, sustains fertile lands in the northwest. The Helmand Basin, covering 51%, hosts Afghanistan’s longest river, vital in the southwest. The Kabul Basin, formed by the Kabul River, dominates the southeast’s drainage, while the Northern Basin differs in its internal flow. Understanding these basins aids water management and regional stability.

Notes:
India will host the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, as announced by the Badminton World Federation (BWF). It marks India’s first hosting since 2008, when Pune held the event. The specific dates for the 2025 edition will be disclosed later.

Notes:
In West Bengal, Swarna Chitrakar is a revered figure among the village’s patuas (scroll painters). The Prime Minister recently lauded Odisha’s Bhagyashree Sahu, another pattachitra artist, on his show Mann ki Baat. Pattachitra, a traditional cloth-based scroll painting, originates from Odisha and West Bengal, dating back to the 12th century. Patuas depict daily life scenes, accompanied by songs. Pattachitra serves ritual and souvenir purposes in Odisha, forming a key part of Bengali narrative art.

Notes:
Recently, an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter collected water from Bhimtal Lake in Nainital, Uttarakhand to help control a nearby forest fire.The Indian Army and the IAF were called in to help control the blaze, with MI-17 choppers lifting water from the lake for firefighting efforts. Bhimtal Lake, Uttarakhand’s largest lake in the Nainital district, is a centerpiece of the Kumaon region, dubbed India’s “lake district.” Named after the Mahabharata’s Bhima, it formed naturally due to Earth’s crust shifts. Constructed in 1883 during the British era, it features a masonry dam.

Notes:
Researchers from Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) discovered a new marine tardigrade species, Batillipes chandrayaani, on Tamil Nadu’s southeast coast, named after Chandrayaan-3. Found in Mandapam’s intertidal beach sediments, it measures 0.15mm in length and 0.04mm in width. Sporting a trapezoid-shaped head and four pairs of legs with sharp-tipped sensory spines, both sexes share similar morphology. It’s the 39th species under the genus Batillipes. Tardigrades, dubbed “water bears,” are resilient micro-animals, with marine species constituting 17% of known tardigrades, found across all oceans.

Notes:
India protests China’s construction in Shaksgam Valley, deemed illegal. The valley is part of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. It is a disputed territory claimed by India but controlled by Pakistan and ceded to China in 1963 by Pakistan. Article 6 of the agreement stipulates renegotiation after Kashmir dispute settlement. It borders Xinjiang, POK, and Siachen Glacier. The Karakoram highway, built in the 1970s, resulted from the agreement between China and Pakistan.

Notes:
Red colobus monkeys, belonging to genus Procolobus, inhabit African Savanna across West, Central, and East Africa. The Savanna’s diverse habitat offers ample trees and food sources like leaves and fruits. They serve as seed dispersers and prey for predators. Living in social groups, they exhibit striking features with reddish-brown fur. This species plays a vital ecological role in their habitat, vital for maintaining the balance in their ecosystem.

Notes:
The Supreme Court reserved one-third of SCBA executive committee seats for women. Minimum 3 out of 9 positions and 2 of 6 Senior Executive Member posts will be for women. At least one office-bearer post exclusively for women by rotation. Treasurer post in 2024-2025 election reserved for women. Reservation ensures minimum representation, eligible women can contest all committee posts. Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan directed the decision.

Notes:
Retired Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra appointed as President of GSTAT, the Second Appellate Authority under the Central GST Act, 2017. GSTAT hears appeals against orders from the Appellate Authority under CGST Act, 2017 and State GST Acts, ensuring dispute resolution uniformity. GSTAT comprises a Principal Bench in New Delhi, led by the President and two Technical Members (one from Centre, one from State), along with several State Benches.

Notes:
An Atlas V rocket is poised to launch Boeing’s Starliner crew capsule on its third test flight, marking the first with astronauts aboard. Starliner is a spacecraft designed to ferry astronauts to space, consisting of a crew capsule and service module. With innovative features like wireless internet and tablet interfaces, it’s reusable up to 10 times, fitting atop Atlas V rockets operated by United Launch Alliance, a Boeing-Lockheed Martin venture.