Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a 100 TPD cattle dung-based Compressed Bio-Gas (CBG) plant in Gwalior. The plant is located in Adarsh Gaushala, Laltipara, Gwalior, operated by the Gwalior Municipal Corporation. Adarsh Gaushala is home to over 10,000 cattle and is India’s first modern, self-sufficient gaushala. The plant converts cattle dung and organic waste, like vegetable and fruit scraps, into biogas. It is the first CBG plant in Madhya Pradesh, promoting the “Waste to Wealth” initiative and sustainability.

Notes:
India hosts the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) conference from November 25-30, 2024, marking the first time this event occurs in its 130-year history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the ‘United Nations International Year of Cooperatives 2025’ at this conference, which expects around 3,000 delegates, including 1,000 from abroad. The event aims to showcase India’s cooperative movement, which comprises 25% of global cooperatives, with 800,000 cooperatives operating in the country. The theme is ‘Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All’, promoting sustainable and inclusive growth.

Notes:
Prasar Bharati has launched a new OTT app called ‘Waves’ to meet India’s growing streaming demand. The app offers live TV, on-demand content (movies, shows, ebooks), live events (religious programs, cricket), games for all age groups, and e-commerce options via the ONDC network. It features around 65 live channels, including private broadcasters. Waves aims to provide a comprehensive digital experience for Indian viewers across various entertainment and shopping needs.

Notes:
The WTO released a report titled “Trading with Intelligence,” exploring AI’s impact on global trade. AI regulation fragmentation may affect trade opportunities for MSMEs. The concentration of AI development in large economies creates a trade divide. Data governance challenges, like cross-border data flow restrictions, may raise trade costs. AI offers opportunities to reduce trade costs by automating customs and border processes. Universal AI adoption could boost global trade growth by 14% by 2040. AI could transform service trade, especially digitally delivered and manual service sectors.

Notes:
Lebanon’s UNESCO Cultural Heritage sites—Baalbek, Tyre, and Anjar—are facing threats from repeated assaults. Baalbek is a prime example of Imperial Roman architecture, showcasing massive structures. Tyre, a historic Phoenician city, once dominated the seas and founded colonies like Cadiz and Carthage, and is linked to the invention of purple dye. Anjar, founded by Caliph Walid I in the 8th century, has ruins that display remarkable city planning from the Umayyad era, resembling ancient palace cities.

Notes:
The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30) will take place in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. It will include the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30), the 20th meeting of the COP for the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 20), and the seventh meeting for the Paris Agreement (CMA 7). Additionally, the 63rd sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 63) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 63) will also be held.

Notes:
The Namo Lakshmi Yojana, launched by Gujarat’s Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, provides financial assistance of Rs 50,000 over four years to girl students from standards 9 to 12. With a budget of Rs 1,250 crore for the fiscal year, the initiative aims to empower girls through education and address financial barriers that lead to dropouts. Since its inception, it has benefitted around 10 lakh girls, disbursing over Rs 138.54 crore in aid.

Notes:
The Sambhal riots in Uttar Pradesh raise concerns about the relevance of the Places of Worship Act, 1991. The Act aims to prohibit the conversion of religious places and maintain their character as of August 15, 1947. It bans altering places of worship between religious denominations or sections within the same denomination. Court interventions on issues concerning the religious character of such places are prohibited. The Ayodhya site was exempted, allowing the trial to proceed despite the Act. The Act also provides specific exemptions besides Ayodhya.

Notes:
BIPEX-2024, a national postal exhibition, held in Patna’s Gyan Bhawan Auditorium. It is inaugurated by Bihar Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. The three-day exhibition highlights Bihar’s rich postal history, featuring around 20,000 postal stamps from 153 collectors. A major attraction is the world’s first postal stamp, released 250 years ago in Patna, in the form of copper coins. Two books, Glory of Bihar and Postal Heritage of Bihar, is also launched at the event.

Notes:
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has classified packaged drinking water and mineral water as “high-risk foods,” enhancing safety measures. This follows the removal of mandatory BIS certification, with a focus on regular inspections and audits by FSSAI. High-risk foods require strict safety protocols to prevent public health issues. The classification aims to ensure consumer safety through rigorous testing and monitoring. The regulation falls under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, simplifying the certification process.