Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
Indian Chess Prodigy Vaishali Ramesh Babu, awarded Grandmaster by FIDE, highlighted India’s rising prominence in chess. She anticipates India’s strong showing in the World Championship. Praising Viswanathan Anand’s impact, she credits her father’s decision to steer her towards chess. Supported by her parents, Vaishali became India’s third female Grandmaster after Humpy and Dronavalli. She achieved the 2500 ELO points at the Llobregat Open, with FIDE formally granting her the title at the recent Candidates Tournament in Toronto.

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:
Former Foreign Minister Jeremiah Manele elected as Solomon Islands’ new Prime Minister, securing 31 votes out of 49 in a secret ballot. His victory suggests continued close ties with China. Manele pledges integrity and prioritization of national interests in his inaugural address, defeating opposition leader Matthew Wale, who garnered 18 votes.

Notes:
The Koothandavar festival in Koovagam, Tamil Nadu, unfolds a narrative of marriage and widowhood within a day during the Tamil month of Chithirai. Lasting 18 days, it honors Lord Aravan’s sacrifice from the Tamil Mahabharata. Transgender individuals marry Aravan on the 17th day, symbolizing devotion. On the final day, Aravan is ritually sacrificed, and his widowed spouses mourn, echoing Lord Krishna’s lament for Aravan’s plight. This unique celebration draws global attention to transgender identity.

Notes:
The 26th ASEAN-India Senior Officials’ Meeting in New Delhi, co-chaired by Jaideep Mazumdar and Albert Chua, reviewed ASEAN-India relations, focusing on political-security, economic, and socio-cultural engagement. They discussed implementing the Prime Ministers’ 12-Point Proposal to strengthen the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Preparation for the upcoming ASEAN-India Summit in Vientiane, Laos, was also discussed. ASEAN appreciated India’s support for ASEAN and regional architecture.

Notes:
The Maharashtra forest department plans to move tigers from Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, located in the Western Ghats. Formed in 2010, it includes Chandoli National Park and Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary. The reserve boasts unique undulating terrain with steep escarpments and barren rocky plateaus known as “Sadas.” It hosts abundant climax and near-climax vegetation, with minimal human impact anticipated.

Notes:
Kerala embraces the SMART-PDS scheme, aimed at modernizing and enhancing efficiency in the Public Distribution System. Led by the Department of Food & Public Distribution, it aims to curb food grain leakage and improve distribution chain efficiency. This technology-driven initiative centralizes ration card data and enables real-time monitoring from procurement to distribution. Costs are shared between Union and State governments, with the State covering expenses for key components like training and infrastructure. Smart ration cards with beneficiary fingerprints ensure transparent transactions.

Notes:
Carbon farming, or carbon sequestration farming, aims to mitigate climate change by capturing and storing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in soil or biomass. It’s adaptable across various agro-climatic zones and addresses soil degradation, water scarcity, and climate variability challenges. Best suited to regions with long growing seasons and adequate rainfall, carbon farming utilizes vegetation growth to sequester carbon. This practice helps reduce greenhouse gas concentrations and fosters sustainable agriculture.

Notes:
Amid concerns over rivals’ hypersonic missiles, Japan invests in the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI) Project with the US. The GPI is a missile-intercepting system to counter hypersonic threats. By 2032, full operational capability is targeted. Hypersonic weapons travel at over five times the speed of sound, posing challenges for traditional defenses. The project aims to intercept them during the glide phase, utilizing modified missiles launched from warships for regional defense against hypersonic threats.

Notes:
Researchers at Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) identified two new needlefish species in Indian waters. These marine creatures are commonly found in temperate and tropical regions, characterized by silvery bodies with blue or green backs. They are carnivorous, preying on small fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. Abundant along the Indian coast, they contribute to pelagic resources, thriving in the open sea away from the coast.