Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

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:
Union Minister of Women and Child Development Annpurna Devi launched the “Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat” campaign on 27th November 2024 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The campaign is inspired by “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” (2015). The campaign aims to eradicate child marriage and empower girls through education and entrepreneurship. Despite progress in child mortality, sex ratio, and education, 1 in 5 girls marry before 18 years, perpetuating poverty and human rights violations. A pledge against child marriage will involve 25 crore citizens. A “Child Marriage Free Bharat” portal will be launched for awareness and reporting.

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The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope was inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, at an altitude of 4.3 km. It is the world’s highest imaging Cherenkov telescope and has a 21-meter-wide dish, the largest in Asia. It was built by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It detects high-energy gamma rays indirectly. Gamma rays, emitted by cosmic events like supernovae and black holes, are blocked by Earth’s atmosphere. MACE uses Cherenkov radiation, faint blue light produced when gamma rays interact with air molecules, to study these rays. It is an imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (IACT).

Notes:
Recent research has shown that minke whales (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) can hear high-frequency sounds up to 90 kilohertz (kHz), significantly higher than previously thought. This discovery raises concerns about the effects of anthropogenic ocean noise on marine mammals, as it suggests they may be more vulnerable to disturbances than recognized. The study utilized a novel catch-and-release method to measure the whales’ auditory sensitivity, emphasizing the need for better understanding and regulatory consideration of noise impacts on baleen whales.

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Under the Yuva Sangam initiative, 44 delegates from Bihar traveled to Karnataka, and 50 from Andhra Pradesh visited Uttar Pradesh. Yuva Sangam, launched by the Ministry of Education in 2023, aimed to strengthen youth connections across States and Union Territories. It fostered cultural immersion, knowledge sharing, and interactions to promote unity in diversity. A total of 4,795 youth joined 114 tours across phases.

Notes:
The UNAIDS World AIDS Day Report 2024, titled “Take the right path to end AIDS”, was launched. Of 39.9 million people living with HIV, 9.3 million lack access to life-saving treatment. In the past year, 630,000 people died from AIDS-related illnesses, and 1.3 million contracted HIV. UNAIDS is a joint program of 11 UN organizations, including UNICEF, WHO, UNESCO, and World Bank. Its vision is to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths.

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Indian Railways launched the ‘Sanraksha’ mobile app to enhance passenger safety by training frontline safety staff. The app, designed by IRTS officer Dilip Singh, was piloted successfully in Nagpur, showing its effectiveness. It integrates railway expertise with IT, data analytics, and AI for intelligent, scalable training systems. Sanraksha features smart learning, feedback, and real-time monitoring. It will be rolled out across all railway zones, starting with 16 divisions. Passenger safety is further ensured through the Rail Madad Portal, Helpline 139, CCTV surveillance, social media engagement, and special drives to address safety concerns.

Notes:
The 13th National Seed Congress 2024 was inaugurated on November 28 by Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan via virtual address. It is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare. The three-day event is held from November 28 to 30, 2024, at International Rice Research Institute South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC), Varanasi. Over 700 delegates, including experts, policymakers, industry leaders, scholars, and farmers, participated. The Congress focuses on key issues and advancements in the seed sector.

Notes:
India hosts 75% of the global tiger population, with at least 3,167 tigers in 2022, up from 2,967 in 2018. Nearly 40% of tigers are concentrated in just 11% of reserves. Only six reserves have over 100 tigers, while 22 have fewer than 10 or none. Corbett National Park has the highest tiger population at 231, followed by Nagarhole (127), Bandipur (126), Kaziranga (104), Bandhavgarh (104), and Mudumalai (103). The data was reported by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) covering 53 reserves across 18 states.

Notes:
The Ministry of Culture implements the “Global Engagement Scheme” to promote India’s cultural heritage globally. The Festival of India (FoI) is organized abroad to foster people-to-people connections and cultural ties. Artists showcase diverse fields like folk music, dance, theatre, puppetry, classical and contemporary arts. Indian folk art and music are also promoted through grants to Indo-Foreign Friendship Cultural Societies. These grants support cultural programs and activities in foreign countries, enhancing India’s global cultural presence.