Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approves renovation of Kankesanthurai Port, funded entirely by India. The port, located in the Northern Province, spans about 16 acres and is 104 km from Karaikal Port in Puducherry, India. The decision underscores efforts to enhance connectivity and infrastructure in the region. Additionally, a direct passenger ship service links Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu to Kankesanthurai, covering 111 km in around three and a half hours.

Notes:
The UK government has implemented groundbreaking laws mandating minimum security standards for internet-connected smart devices, aiming to shield consumers and businesses from hacking and cyber-attacks. Manufacturers are now barred from employing weak default passwords such as “admin” or “12345”. Users will be prompted to change any common passwords upon device start-up, enhancing overall security measures.

Notes:
NPCI’s overseas arm signed a pact with the Bank of Namibia to develop a UPI-like instant payment system for Namibia, leveraging India’s UPI technology and experiences. The collaboration aims to modernize Namibia’s financial ecosystem, enhancing accessibility, affordability, and connectivity with domestic and international payment networks. It also emphasizes interoperability, signaling a significant step towards improving financial inclusion and digital transactions in Namibia.

Notes:
On May 3, 2024, the Permanent Mission of India to the UN and the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, with UNFPA, host “Localizing the SDGs: Women in Local Governance in India Lead the Way” during CPD57 in New York. Elected women representatives, including Sabhadhipati Supriya Das Datta (Tripura), Sarpanch Kunuku Hema Kumari (Andhra Pradesh), and Sarpanch Neeru Yadav (Rajasthan), led by Secretary Vivek Bharadwaj, will showcase Indian women’s grassroots leadership.

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:
India and the Netherlands held the 12th round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) in The Hague on May 2, 2024. The consultations were led by Shri Pavan Kapoor, Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. The meeting was a chance to evaluate progress since the last FOC in New Delhi in December 2022. During the meeting, India and the Netherlands agreed to strengthen their bilateral ties by focusing on new technologies like green hydrogen and semiconductors.

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:
Nepal introduced a new Rs 100 currency note featuring disputed Indian territories—Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura, and Kalapani—triggering contention from India. Prime Minister Prachanda chaired a meeting where the decision was made. Rekha Sharma, also the communication minister, announced the update following Nepal Rastra Bank’s proposal. The move follows tensions since Nepal’s 2020 political map included these areas. India had included them in its 2019 map, leading to diplomatic strains, notably over a road construction.

Notes:
The Aeronautical Development Establishment, a Bengaluru-based Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, creator of Lakshya aircraft, is under CBI scrutiny. Lakshya, a micro-light, pilot-less aircraft, was developed by ADE for Indian Armed Forces, inducted in 2000 (IAF), 2001 (IN), and 2003 (IA). Cost-effective, reusable, with HAL-manufactured engine, it aids weapon system trials, carries tow targets for training, and launches from land or sea. Controlled via GCS, it’s designed for 15 missions, countering airborne threats.

Notes:
Adani Green Energy Ltd (AGEL), India’s top renewable energy firm, secured USD 400 million in funding from five international banks for its 750 MW solar projects in Rajasthan and Gujarat. These projects are scheduled to start operating from November 2024. The Rajasthan project, with 500 MW capacity, has a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA) with SECI, while the Gujarat project, with 250 MW capacity, is a standalone merchant power project in Khavda, the world’s largest RE cluster.