Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Russian and Chinese navy warships are conducting anti-submarine missions in the northwestern Pacific during a joint patrol after the Beibu/Interaction 2024 exercises. The operations involve complex training sessions and combat exercises, including anti-submarine defense and sea rescues. Key Russian vessels involved in the missions include Admiral Panteleyev and Admiral Tributs. China has deployed destroyers such as Xining and Wuxi, along with other ships for these exercises.

Notes:
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 and was first initiated in 1992 by the World Federation for Mental Health. The day aims to raise awareness about mental health issues and support mental health care globally. It has become a significant platform for collaboration among governments, organizations, and individuals to promote lasting change in mental health care. The 2024 theme, “Mental Health at Work,” highlights the importance of mental health in the workplace, where around 60% of the global population is employed. It stresses the need for safe and inclusive work environments to promote mental well-being and support those in need.

Notes:
INS Talwar arrived in South Africa for the eighth edition of exercise IBSAMAR. IBSAMAR is a joint maritime exercise involving India, Brazil, and South Africa. The exercise focuses on Blue Water Naval Warfare, covering Surface and Anti-Air Warfare. Activities include professional exchanges, firefighting drills, search-and-seizure operations, diving, aviation safety, and ocean governance seminars. The exercise strengthens naval interoperability, builds mutual trust, and fosters cooperation among like-minded nations for peaceful maritime environments.

Notes:
According to recent reports, the Indian Institute of Technology Indore (IIT Indore) has developed a device utilizing photoacoustic technology for early detection of breast cancer at an affordable cost. The device uses Photoacoustic Spectral Response (PASR) technology, which combines optical and acoustic signals to detect abnormal tissue changes. t aims to enable early breast cancer detection, particularly in rural and remote areas, due to its affordability.

Notes:
World Habitat Day was first observed in 1985, celebrated on the first Monday in October. The Global Observance of World Habitat Day is observed on 7 October this year. It highlights the right to decent and safe housing for everyone. The 2024 theme is “Engaging youth to create a better urban future,” focusing on the opportunities and challenges of rapid urban growth. The goal is to involve young people in planning their present and future environments.

Notes:
Paleontologists discovered a new sauropod dinosaur species, Ardetosaurus viator, in northern Wyoming, USA. It lived during the Late Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago. Ardetosaurus viator belonged to the Diplodocidae family, known for extremely long necks and tails. Sauropods were the largest land animals, existing for 135 million years across various continents except Antarctica. Their success came from unique adaptations like size, an air sac system, specialized feeding, and laying eggs. Diplodocids have been found in North and South America, Europe, and Africa.

Notes:
A study by scientists from the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences in Lucknow found significant potential for hydrocarbon generation in the eastern South Karanpura coalfield in Jharkhand. The research used microscopic palynomorph analysis and geochemical assessments, showing the eastern Sirka coalfield has more hydrocarbon potential than the Giddi coalfield. The South Karanpura coalfield has 28 major coal blocks and is vital for India’s energy sector. There is growing interest in exploring unconventional hydrocarbon resources like coal bed methane and shale gas due to increasing energy demands and the shift toward green energy.

Notes:
The ‘Prerna Sthal’ memorial in Sikkim, inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, honors 22 soldiers who lost their lives in the October 2023 glacial lake outburst at South Lhonak Lake. The memorial symbolizes their courage and sacrifice, aiming to inspire national pride. Similar to the National War Memorial in New Delhi, it serves as a tribute to fallen heroes, fostering unity and remembrance across generations.

Notes:
India’s top women’s doubles pair, Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee, made history by winning a bronze medal at the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. This achievement marks India’s first-ever medal in women’s doubles at the championships. They became the first all-India women’s doubles pair to win a medal in this competition. The last medal in women’s doubles was won in 1952 by Gool Nasikwala, who secured gold with Japan’s Yoshiko Tanaka.

Notes:
The US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) hosted the ‘India Leadership Summit 2024’ in New Delhi. It focused on boosting bilateral trade, supply chains, semiconductor investment, AI, and next-gen technologies. The summit followed PM Modi’s recent US visit for the Quad Summit and UNGA. It aimed to strengthen defence ties, promote clean energy, and ensure a free Indo-Pacific. Key speakers included Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Jyotiraditya Scindia. The summit emphasized collaboration between the US and India to fortify India’s manufacturing economy and realign global supply chains.