Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Union Minister Piyush Goyal inaugurated the 43rd India International Trade Fair at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The fair, organized by India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), runs from November 14-27, 2024, with the theme “Viksit Bharat @2047,” aiming for a self-reliant, prosperous India by 2047. Union Minister announced plans to expand ITPO as a world-class MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions) agency, promoting India as a top destination for meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions. MICE facilities will be expanded to cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Chennai.

Notes:
China’s Chang’e-6 mission made history by retrieving the first surface samples from the moon’s far side, revealing volcanic rock fragments dating back 4.2 billion years. This discovery provides crucial insights into the moon’s geological history and long periods of volcanic activity, suggesting that the far side was once more dynamic than it is today. The mission highlights the differences in composition between samples from the near and far sides of the moon, enhancing our understanding of lunar volcanism and its cessation due to dwindling internal heat sources over billions of years.

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Japan has agreed to provide its integrated antenna system, UNICORN, to the Indian Naval Ships. UNICORN stands for Unified Complex Radio Antenna, and it’s a conical structure that houses antennas on warships. The system is designed to increase the stealth characteristics of naval platforms. On November 15, 2024, India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Implementation (MoI) to co-develop and co-produce the UNICORN mast for Indian Navy ships. The agreement was signed at the Embassy of India in Tokyo by the Ambassador of India to Japan, H.E. Shri Sibi George, and Mr. Ishikawa Takeshi, Commissioner of Acquisition Technology and Logistics Agency (ATLA) under Japan MoD. This is India’s first military technology transfer pact with Japan. It’s also the first case of co-development and co-production of defense equipment between the two countries.

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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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Dhudmaras village in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, gained global recognition by being selected among United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO’s) best tourism villages. It is one of 20 villages chosen from 60 nations for its sustainable tourism practices. Located in Kanger Valley National Park, it offers eco-tourism with dense forests and the Kanger River. UNWTO will assist in upgrading tourism facilities, preserving culture, and improving villagers’ lives. Dhudmaras and Chitrakot received India’s Best Tourism Village Award on September 27.

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The Indian Army conducted the ‘Sanyukt Vimochan 2024’ exercise on 18-19 November in Ahmedabad and Porbandar, Gujarat. It is an annual multilateral Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise by the Konark Corps of Southern Command. The inaugural event in Ahmedabad included a Table Top Exercise on managing cyclones in Gujarat’s coastal region. The exercise focused on interagency coordination for efficient disaster response. A Multi-Agency Capability Demonstration at Porbandar’s Chowpatty Beach simulated logistics, rapid response, and disaster management in a cyclone scenario.

Notes:
Japan will be the official ‘Partner Country’ for the 25th Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. The festival is held annually from December 1–10, showcasing Nagaland’s culture through music, dance, art, and indigenous games. Started in 2000, its goal is to promote the state’s culture, encourage inter-tribal interaction, and preserve Naga heritage. Organized by the state’s Tourism and Art & Culture Departments, with support from the Union Government. It is named after the Indian Hornbill, a colorful bird central to the folklore of many Naga tribes.

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An international team of astronomers used the MeerKAT radio telescope to study giant radio galaxies in the Cosmological Evolution Survey (COSMOS) field. MeerKAT is located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province and originally had 20 receptors, but with increased funding, it now has 64. It is part of South Africa’s contribution to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project, which aims to build the largest radio telescope. MeerKAT is a powerful radio interferometer, consisting of 64 dishes, each 13.5 meters wide, studying the universe’s evolution using radio signals.

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A new NGO, the Association of Indian American Minorities (AIAM), was launched in Maryland, USA, to unite and support minority communities in the Indian American diaspora. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Global Peace Award for Minority Upliftment during the event. Jasdip Singh, a Sikh philanthropist, was appointed as AIAM’s Chairman. AIAM aims to advance PM Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, focusing on inclusivity and welfare for all.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) introduced STRONG (STring Representation Of Nanopore Geometry), a new language for encoding nanopore shapes as character sequences. STRONG helps machine learning models predict nanopore properties accurately. It assigns letters to atomic configurations, improving understanding of nanopore geometries. This tool supports applications like gas separation and enhances data analysis. STRONG’s integration with neural networks boosts prediction accuracy. This breakthrough marks a significant advancement in materials science and computational research.