Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Samantha Harvey won the 2024 Booker Prize for her novel Orbital, set aboard the International Space Station. The Booker Prize is a prestigious literary award for the best English novel of the year, founded in 1969 in the UK. The award is open to any English-language novel published in the UK or Ireland, regardless of the author’s nationality. The winner receives £50,000, with shortlisted authors earning £2,500. The Booker Prize Foundation, a charity established in 2002, oversees the prize and the Man Booker International Prize.

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Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) and Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) are setting up the world’s first high-altitude para sports centre in Leh. The centre aims to train Indian para-athletes for the 2028 Paralympics. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by LAHDC, Leh, and AMF, marking a milestone in Indian sports. Advocate Tashi Gyalson, Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC, expressed pride in Leh’s role in this project. AMF will initially support 15 Children with Special Needs (CwSN) from Leh-Ladakh, training them at the AMF’s Parasports Academy in Hyderabad.

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The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is working to remove a new invasive plant species, Senna tora, in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). Senna tora, native to Central America, has recently appeared in the Sigur and Moyar areas of MTR’s buffer zone. Officials are concerned that this plant may spread, threatening MTR’s open grasslands, crucial for local wildlife like elephants, deer, and Indian gaur. The plant’s cyclical nature and preference for drier areas complicate management efforts, as it could significantly disrupt the fragile ecosystem already facing other invasive flora.

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The Sumi Naga tribe recently celebrated Ahuna, a post-harvest festival, with unity and gratitude. The Sumi, or Sema Naga, is a major tribe in Nagaland, mainly residing in central and southern regions. Sumis are known for their extensive village settlements, a unique feature among Naga tribes. They practiced headhunting before converting to Christianity through missionaries. The Sumi language is Tibeto-Burman, and their main festivals are Tuluni and Ahuna. Ahuna celebrates the harvest season, giving thanks and praying for good fortune. Tuluni marks the arrival of new crops, with prayers for last year’s bountiful harvest.

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Australia launched the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) scheme, offering Indian university graduates and early professionals the chance to work in Australia for up to two years. The scheme is part of the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA) between India and Australia. MATES opens in December for applicants aged 30 or younger with an eligible degree in fields like renewable energy, AI, FinTech, and AgriTech. Applicants must have proficient English (IELTS 6 overall, 5 in each module) and have graduated within two years from top Indian universities. The program starts with 3,000 places annually, and participants can bring dependents with work rights.

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The Dolphin Ambulance initiative was launched by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to protect Ganga Dolphins, India’s national aquatic animal. The project, with a budget of Rs 1 crore, focuses on rescuing dolphins and raising awareness about their conservation. It aims to train communities to handle dolphin emergencies and restore the Ganga’s ecological balance. The initiative supports biodiversity preservation and aquatic life conservation through innovative measures to protect the Ganga’s ecosystem.

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The Red-Headed Vulture, also called the Asian King vulture or Pondicherry Vulture, was sighted for the first time at Manhampothikunnu near Mavungal in Kasaragod, Kerala. It is a dark, medium-sized vulture with a reddish head and loose neck flaps. It is found in Central India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and parts of Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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Indian tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran, 35, announced his retirement on November 15, 2024. He won a singles bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and peaked at world No. 75 in ATP rankings in 2019. Gunneswaran turned pro in 2010, achieving a singles record of 11–28 and a doubles record of 1-1. His highest doubles ranking was 248, reached in 2018. Competed in all four Grand Slams, with his best performance at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2020. His career highlight includes defeating world No. 18 Nikoloz Basilashvili at the Indian Wells Masters in 2019.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs approved the formation of the first all-woman CISF battalion, with over 1,000 personnel. This unit will be led by a senior commandant and includes 1,025 personnel from within CISF’s existing sanctioned strength. CISF currently has 12 reserve battalions, with women making up more than 7% of the force. This Mahila battalion aims to inspire more women to join CISF and boost female representation in the force. Established in 1969, CISF provides counter-terrorism security to nuclear, aerospace, and private sector facilities, including Infosys and Reliance refinery sites.

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The Odisha Government, in partnership with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), launched a “Compendium of Regenerative Agriculture” to promote sustainable farming. This compendium was released at the International Symposium on Shree Anna and Forgotten Foods. It outlines five key principles: minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing crop diversity, maintaining soil cover, keeping living roots year-round, and integrating livestock. ICRISAT is an international organization focused on improving dryland farming and food systems in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and other semi-arid regions.