Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
A female elephant recently died from electrocution near a tribal colony close to Peechi Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala’s Thrissur district. Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1958, covers 125 sq. km in Thrissur. It is located in the catchment area of Peechi and Vazhani Dams and is part of the Palapilli-Nelliampathy forests. The terrain varies in altitude from 100 to 914 meters, with Ponmudi as the highest peak. The sanctuary has tropical forests, 50+ orchid species, rare medicinal plants, and valuable trees like teak.

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Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka signed an MoU to deploy trained elephants (Kumki) to control elephant issues in AP. The MoU includes elephant capture, mahout training, and knowledge sharing on tranquillising and capturing. Karnataka has transferred 62 Kumki elephants to states like Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Kumkis are trained Asian elephants used to manage wild elephants, including rescuing and patrolling. India has 60% of the world’s Asian elephants, with 27,312 elephants and 138 corridors. Elephants have a 22-month gestation period, the longest of any land animal. Asian elephants are classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

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UNESCO has accredited the Keremane Idagunji Mahaganapati Yakshagana Mandali, founded in 1934 by Late Keremane Shivarama Hegde. The objective is to educate future generations and safeguard Yakshagana from decline, ensuring its relevance and vitality. Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form that originated between the 11th and 16th centuries in coastal Karnataka and parts of Kerala. It combines dance, music, dialogues, colorful costumes, and heavy make-up, inspired by the Vaishnava Bhakti movement. The themes include stories of Lord Krishna, Vishnu, and Hindu epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Traditionally, men played all roles, but women are now included in troupes.

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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.

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Uttar Pradesh will establish three new medical colleges in Baghpat, Hathras, and Kasganj, adding 300 MBBS seats through a public-private partnership (PPP) and the Central government’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF) scheme. This expansion is part of a broader effort to enhance medical infrastructure in the state, increasing the total number of medical colleges from 39 in 2017 to 78. Since 2017, Uttar Pradesh has experienced a 108% rise in MBBS seats and a 181% increase in postgraduate medical seats.

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.

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The Union Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister of India, has approved India’s membership in the Energy Efficiency Hub. This global platform, established in 2020, promotes energy efficiency worldwide. It succeeded the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), of which India was a member. The hub connects governments, international organizations, and private entities to share knowledge and solutions. Sixteen countries, including the U.S., U.K., and China, are members. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) will represent India in the Hub. India’s participation will enhance its energy efficiency initiatives and contribute to climate change efforts. This aligns with India’s goals for sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

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Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has delivered 100 Control Centres for the Air Defence Control and Reporting system (Akashteer) to the Indian Army. These control centres will play a crucial role in protecting the country from aerial threats like missile and rocket attacks. The successful delivery highlights India’s commitment to strengthening its military self-reliance. It also emphasizes the modernization of India’s defense infrastructure, enhancing overall security capabilities.

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The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation released the 7th issue of “EnviStats India 2024: Environment Accounts.” EnviStats covers information on natural resources, environmental degradation, and government efforts for management. It follows the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting (SEEA) framework for compiling environmental accounts. Coverage of mangroves increased by about 8% from 2013 to 2021. There has been a 72% increase in the number and a 16% increase in the area of protected lands from 2000 to 2023. This edition introduces Ocean Accounts for environmental reporting. The report also updates the Soil Nutrient Index using Soil Health Card data for 2023-24.

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The 9th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup started in Sharjah, UAE. The tournament runs from October 3rd to 20th, with ten teams participating. India is in Group A with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Group B includes Bangladesh, England, Scotland, South Africa, and West Indies. India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, seeks its first-ever ICC title in this event.