Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Shetkari Samruddhi Special Train via video conferencing. The train connected Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar. Its purpose was to help farmers transport perishable goods to new markets at a low cost. The train featured small parcel vans for easy and safe transport of perishable items.

Notes:
The Centre has extended benefits of the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme for EPFO subscribers and their families until further notice. EDLI was launched in 1976 to provide social security benefits to private-sector employees.
The scheme is managed and administered by Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and offers term life insurance to employees. It covers organizations registered under the EPF and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952. EDLI works with EPF and the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS). The benefit amount depends on the employee’s last drawn salary. The nominee receives a lump-sum if the EPF member dies during service.

Notes:
Russia is testing the combat readiness of a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile unit northwest of Moscow. The Yars RS-24 is a Russian mobile nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), operational since 2010. It can be mounted on trucks or deployed in silos. The missile is 22.5 meters long, 2 meters in diameter, and weighs 49,000 kg. It has a range of 2,000 to 10,500 km and uses inertial and Glonass guidance systems. The missile can carry up to 10 multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) , each with a 300-kiloton thermonuclear warhead, and can deploy decoys to evade missile defense systems.

Notes:
The carcass of a nearly nine-year-old tigress, RVTR-2, was found in the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi, Rajasthan. The reserve is located in southeastern Rajasthan and covers 1,501.89 sq. km, including a core area of 481.91 sq. km and a buffer area of 1,019.98 sq. km. It connects to Ranthambore and Mukundara Hills tiger reserves. Ramgarh Vishdhari was designated as a tiger reserve on May 16, 2022. The Mez River, a tributary of the Chambal, flows through it. The vegetation mainly consists of dry deciduous forests, with dominant flora including Dhok and Khair trees. The reserve is home to leopards, sloth bears, jungle cats, and various other wildlife.

Notes:
Union Ministers Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Satish Chandra Dubey inaugurated India’s first coal gallery at the National Science Centre, New Delhi. The exhibition is titled “Black Diamond – Unveiling the Depths” and explores the discovery, extraction process, and mining techniques of coal and other minerals. Minister Shekhawat emphasized that the exhibition offers a real-life experience of coal and mineral mining. The exhibition is open daily from 9:30 AM to 6 PM, with tickets available for visitors at the National Science Centre.

Notes:
The 14th biennial lake conference took place in Moodbidri, Karnataka from October 17 to 20, 2024, focusing on the theme “Lake 2024 – wetlands for human wellbeing.” It called for the government to notify ecologically sensitive panchayats under Section 5(1) of the Environment Protection Act 1986 for better ecosystem health. The conference highlighted the ineffectiveness of most Gram Panchayat Biodiversity Management Committees since the Biodiversity Act 2002. It recommended that zilla panchayats supervise these committees through a phased program by State Biodiversity Boards to improve ecosystem health and resource management.

Notes:
The Fraser Institute released the 2024 Economic Freedom of the World Report, ranking 165 countries based on economic choice. The top five most-economically free countries were Hong Kong, Singapore, Switzerland, New Zealand, and the United States. India ranked 84th in the report. The report uses 42 variables, including government size, property rights, monetary policy, and trade freedom.

Notes:
Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari won a silver medal in the women’s recurve event at the 2024 Archery World Cup Final in Tlaxcala, Mexico. She lost 6-0 to Chinese archer Li Jiaman in the final. Li Jiaman was part of the Chinese archery team that won silver at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The 18th Archery World Cup Final was organized by World Archery and took place on 19-20 October 2024 in Tlaxcala, Mexico.

Notes:
Odisha will host the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bhubaneswar from January 8 to 10, 2024. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi approved the proposal from the Ministry of External Affairs. The event will be held at Janata Maidan in Bhubaneswar, attended by President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and other dignitaries. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrates Mahatma Gandhi’s return to India from South Africa on January 9, 1915, and recognizes the contributions of the Indian diaspora. The last event was held in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Notes:
The 27th All India Forest Sports Meet concluded in Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Chhattisgarh emerged as the overall champion, winning 174 medals. Kerala finished second with 103 medals, and Madhya Pradesh secured third place with 88 medals. Nearly 3,000 athletes from various states and Union Territories participated. Around 300 competitions were held across 26 disciplines during the five-day event.