Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
The Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAHD), Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, India, signed an MoU with UNDP India for digitalizing vaccine cold chain management and capacity building. The agreement, signed by Smt. Alka Upadhyay and Ms. Caitlin Wiesen, aims to improve immunization coverage in India. With a focus on enhancing supply chains and addressing the challenge of serving India’s vast human and livestock population, the partnership emphasizes efficient cold chain equipment and communication planning.

Notes:
The Assam government launched the Disaster Reporting and Information Management System (DRIMS), in collaboration with UNICEF. The platform is an initiative of the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) to help accurately report and assess damage caused by disasters, and to distribute aid to those affected. DRIMS captures critical impact data, such as damage to crops and livestock losses, to help expedite relief delivery and post-disaster restoration efforts. The platform also helps to quickly deliver rehabilitation grants to affected beneficiaries.

Notes:
Australia reports its first human H5N1 avian flu infection. The child’s case raises concerns as H5N1 primarily infects animals. Avian influenza (bird flu) is caused by Type A viruses, divided into subtypes based on Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) proteins, such as H5N3 and H5N8. H5N1, a high pathogenicity strain, is transmitted by migratory wild birds, particularly waterfowl, which are natural reservoirs.

Notes:
Sikkim celebrated Saga Dawa, the ‘Triple Blessed Festival’, on May 23, 2023, coinciding with Buddha Purnima. This sacred Buddhist festival marks the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Buddha Shakyamuni. Celebrated on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Tibetan Buddhist calendar, Buddhists in Sikkim offer prayers in monasteries to honor these significant events in the life of Siddhartha Gautama as Lord Buddha.

Notes:
Arti, an 18-year-old E-rickshaw driver from Uttar Pradesh’s Bahraich district, received the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award from King Charles III at Buckingham Palace. She arrived in her Pink E-rickshaw, provided under UP’s Mission Shakti scheme. Sponsored by Prince Trust International, the award recognizes young women’s achievements despite challenges. Named after barrister Amal Clooney, it honors Arti’s work inspiring girls in her community through the Pink E-rickshaw initiative.

Notes:
Astronomers, using NASA’s TESS and other telescopes, have discovered Gliese 12b, a temperate, Earth-sized exoplanet orbiting the red dwarf Gliese 12 in Pisces, 40 light-years away. Gliese 12b, similar in size to Earth or Venus, has a mass 3.87 times that of Earth and orbits its star every 12.8 days. It receives 1.6 times more energy than Earth and has an estimated surface temperature of 107°F (42°C).

Notes:
Researchers at Brazil’s Federal University of Sao Paulo discovered that Neanderthals 50,000 years ago harbored three viruses still impacting modern humans. This finding surpasses the previous record by 20,000 years, held by a 31,000-year-old common-cold virus. Marcelo Briones suggests it’s feasible to synthesize these ancient viruses. The discovery, from DNA analysis of Neanderthal skeletons in Russia’s Altai mountains, confirms ancient viral origins, ruling out contamination.

Notes:
Male proboscis monkeys evolved their enhanced noses to attract mates, found only in Borneo’s rainforests. They’re among Asia’s largest monkeys with distinctive long noses and large stomachs. Habitats include coastal mangroves and riverine forests, with a diet mainly of leaves. They swim well with webbed fingers and toes, living in harem groups. Threatened by habitat loss from deforestation, they’re classified as Endangered by the IUCN and listed in CITES Appendix I.

Notes:
Dipa Karmakar of Tripura made history by becoming the first Indian gymnast to win gold at the Asian Championships. She won the women’s vault final at the 2024 Asian Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with a score of 13.566. North Korea’s Kim Son-hyang and Jo Kyong-byol took silver and bronze. Despite this victory, Dipa finished 16th in the all-around, missing the 2024 Paris Olympics quota.

Notes:
Prehistoric artifacts made from fossil wood were found in Ghughwa National Fossil Park, Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh. Established as a National Park in 1983, it features tropical dry deciduous landscape. Fossils here date between 40 to 150 million years, including preserved eucalyptus, date palm, neem, climbers, leaves, flowers, fruits, and a dinosaur egg fossil. Early humans used fossilized tree trunks for tools.