Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Recently, six people have died in Rwanda due to a Marburg virus outbreak. Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) is a rare but severe hemorrhagic fever affecting humans and primates. MVD is caused by the Marburg virus, similar to the Ebola virus, both from the Filoviridae family. The virus was first identified in 1967 in Marburg, Germany, linked to infected green monkeys. The African fruit bat is the reservoir host, and transmission occurs through direct contact with bodily fluids.

Notes:
BharatGen was inaugurated by Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh in New Delhi as a generative AI aimed at improving public service delivery and citizen engagement. It is the world’s first government-funded multimodal large language model, focusing on developing efficient and inclusive AI in Indian languages. The project will take two years to complete and will benefit government, private, educational, and research institutions. BharatGen will support both text and speech, ensuring representation of India’s diverse languages and cultures. Its roadmap includes milestones up to July 2026 and aims to scale AI adoption across various sectors.

Notes:
A peak in Arunachal Pradesh was named ‘Tsangyang Gyatso Peak’ after the 6th Dalai Lama, causing China to object. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet” and calls the region “Zangnan.” Tsangyang Gyatso was born in Tawang and lived in the 17th-18th century. India views the naming as a tribute to his wisdom and contributions to the Monpa community.
The National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) scaled the 6,383-metre peak, navigating steep ice walls and crevasses. The peak is located in the Gorichen range of the Arunachal Pradesh Himalayas.

Notes:
The 2024 Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD), an annual Indian Navy conference, held in New Delhi. The conference’s theme is “Resource Geopolitics and Security in the Indo-Pacific.” IPRD is the Indian Navy’s key platform for international strategic engagement, discussing maritime security in the Indo-Pacific. This year’s conference highlights the impact of traditional and new marine resources on geopolitics, with a focus on offshore energy resources like hydrocarbons shaping future geopolitics.

Notes:
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) has traced the Sahibi River’s flow. The river starts in Rajasthan and passes through Haryana and Delhi. It is a tributary of the Yamuna River and was formerly known as the Drishadvati River. Pollution and encroachment have greatly diminished its natural flow. Now, the river is divided into canals and nullahs, and it only flows during heavy rains in its catchment areas.

Notes:
Pfizer announced it will withdraw its sickle cell disease therapy, Oxbryta, from global markets due to new clinical data linking it to fatal events. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is an inherited blood disorder caused by flawed hemoglobin.
Hemoglobin carries oxygen in red blood cells (RBCs). In SCD, hemoglobin S distorts RBCs into a sickle shape, making them rigid and unable to move easily through blood vessels. This blockage disrupts blood flow and interferes with oxygen delivery to body tissues, leading to various health complications.

Notes:
Biologists and the public are responding to reports of stranded manatees in Florida following Hurricane Helene. Manatees are aquatic mammals that belong to the Sirenia group, which also includes dugongs. They have paddle-shaped tails, while dugongs have fluked tails resembling those of whales. Manatees live in shallow coastal areas and rivers. There are three species of manatees: the Amazonian manatee, which lives only in freshwater; the African manatee, found in tropical West Africa; and the Caribbean manatee, located in Florida and the West Indies.

Notes:
Silicosis is an incurable occupational disease resulting from inhaling silica dust, often found in mining environments. This dust causes lung hardening, leading to severe respiratory issues. In regions like Panna district, many miners have been misdiagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) due to similar symptoms. The disease has gained attention as health workers advocate for better recognition and compensation for affected individuals, emphasizing the need for accurate diagnosis and the dangers of working in silica-rich mines.

Notes:
India rejected a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) on religious minority abuses.
USCIRF is an independent U.S. federal agency created by the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act. It monitors global religious freedom violations and provides policy recommendations to the U.S. President, Secretary of State, and Congress.
USCIRF’s nine commissioners are appointed by the President or Congressional leaders, with support from a nonpartisan staff. It issues an annual report on religious freedom, highlighting “Countries of Particular Concern.” The report uses international standards, including Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to assess violations.

Notes:
IIT-Madras Pravartak has launched a cyber commandos training program for police. This six-month residential program is an initiative of the Union Home Ministry. It aims to provide specialized cyber training for law enforcement agencies across India. Unlike existing cybercrime cells that focus on reactive measures, this program will develop a proactive force to tackle cyber threats. The training will enhance the capabilities of police in effectively combating and preventing cybercrimes.