Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
On Valmiki Jayanti, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced that all Scheduled Tribe residential schools and Raichur University will be named after Maharishi Valmiki. Siddaramaiah praised Maharshi Valmiki’s journey from being a hunter to becoming a scholar and authoring the Ramayana. He highlighted Valmiki’s emphasis on equality, justice, and equal opportunities for all.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia has launched a digital platform, Musaned, aimed at ensuring wage protection and safeguarding the human rights of expatriate workers as part of its Vision 2030 plans. The platform targets workers from 10 African countries, including Sudan, Ethiopia, and Kenya, and nine Asian countries, including India, Bangladesh, and the Philippines. The initiative aims to secure workers’ rights, reduce illegal immigration, and enhance labor policies in line with Saudi Arabia’s broader reform goals.

Notes:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) organized a function and national conference on the rights of older persons for its 31st Foundation Day at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The NHRC was established on 12th October 1993. Vice President of India, Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, was the Chief Guest. He stated that India’s human rights record is unmatched, especially for minorities, marginalized, and vulnerable groups. The growing ageing population presents both opportunities and challenges. The Commission has taken steps to protect elderly rights, including forming a core group and issuing guidelines.

Notes:
The Indian Coast Guard conducted the coastal security exercise ‘Sagar Kavach’ on October 16-17 in Gujarat and Daman & Diu. This was the second edition of the exercise this year, coordinated by the Coast Guard Regional Headquarters in Gandhinagar. The exercise aimed to enhance maritime and coastal security and validate existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Various stakeholders participated, including the Indian Navy, State Police, Marine Police, BSF, NSG, Gujarat Maritime Board, IB, and port authorities. Key assets included ships and boats from the Coast Guard and Navy, with aerial surveillance from aircraft and drones. Operational scenarios were simulated to test coordination and effectiveness in maintaining maritime security.

Notes:
The 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) started in Cali, Colombia. The CBD has 196 contracting parties and is the most comprehensive binding international agreement on nature conservation. It was opened for signing at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. The CBD aims to conserve biological diversity, promote sustainable use, and ensure fair sharing of benefits from genetic resources. The governing body, the COP, meets every two years to review progress and set priorities. The Secretariat is located in Montreal, Canada, and supports implementation through the Cartagena and Nagoya Protocols.

Notes:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation (SWIFT) project to rejuvenate 129 wetlands (beels) with a budget of Rs 800 crore. The project, in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, aims to improve water management and enhance fish production. It will restore 4,000 hectares of beel fisheries, crucial for flood control, groundwater replenishment, and river flow regulation. The initiative will boost indigenous fish production by 1,200 kg per hectare annually, benefiting local communities. The project focuses on sustainable management to support Assam’s environmental goals and improve the local economy.

Notes:
India launched its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), codenamed S4*, at the Ship Building Center in Visakhapatnam. S4* has 75% indigenous content and is armed with Kalam -4 ballistic missiles with a range of 3,500 km. It joins three existing submarines: INS Arihant, INS Arighaat, and INS Aridhaman. The government plans to build three more advanced diesel attack submarines in collaboration with the French Naval Group. Nuclear submarines use nuclear reactors for propulsion, allowing for unlimited range and endurance, limited only by supplies and maintenance.

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:
PM Narendra Modi inaugurated three airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) from Varanasi: Rewa (MP), Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), and Saharanpur (UP). Flights will soon operate from these airports under the RCS-UDAN scheme. RCS-UDAN aims to improve connectivity in remote and underserved regions, launched in 2016 under India’s National Civil Aviation Policy. The first RCS-UDAN flight, Shimla to Delhi, began in 2017. The scheme has facilitated travel for over 144 lakh passengers, boosting air travel accessibility across India.

Notes:
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Halmahera Sea in Indonesia, according to the German Research Centre for Geosciences. The Halmahera Sea is located near Halmahera Island, part of the eastern entry route of the Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) passages. The ITF connects the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean through two entry passages: Western and Eastern.