Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Haryana government has announced free dialysis services for chronic kidney patients in all government hospitals. This initiative aims to reduce the financial burden on patients, who usually spend ₹20,000 to ₹25,000 per month on dialysis.
The Haryana government will cover these expenses, showing its commitment to supporting marginalized communities and enhancing healthcare.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh’s Datia district hospital and medical college installed ‘pink alarms’ for women’s safety. The initiative was introduced after the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata. The pink alarm system, created by district collector Sandeep Makin, alerts security within five minutes of activation. Alarms are installed in staff duty rooms across the Maternity Ward, Trauma Center, and New OPD Block. It is the first government hospital in the state to provide this facility for women’s security.

Notes:
The ‘eShram-One Stop Solution’ is designed to facilitate access to various government schemes for unorganized workers in India. Launched by Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, this initiative integrates information from multiple social security and welfare schemes into a single platform. Since the launch of the e-Shram portal in August 2021, over 30 crore unorganized workers have registered, enhancing their awareness and access to support programs.

Notes:
Switzerland has joined the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI). ESSI was founded in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and is led by Germany. The initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s defence against air strikes and enhance NATO’s integrated air and missile defence system. ESSI has 21 member states, including the UK. Its key component is the Arrow 3 missile defence system, an Israeli-American technology designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles.

Notes:
A new Kannada film aims to reduce the stigma around vitiligo, a chronic skin disorder often misunderstood in India. Vitiligo occurs when melanocytes, which produce skin pigment, are destroyed, leading to depigmented patches on the skin, hair, and mouth. The exact cause is unclear but may involve autoimmune responses, genetic factors, and environmental triggers like trauma or sunburn. It can develop at any age but is most common before 30 and affects 0.5 to 2 percent of the global population, with around 100 million people living with the condition. Both men and women are equally affected.

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:
Kerala’s Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) launched the Citizen Sentinel mobile app to enhance road safety by enabling citizens to report traffic violations in real time. The app allows users to capture and upload photos or videos of traffic offenses for review by enforcement officials. Kerala is the third state in India to implement this app, following Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), the app allows users to upload images and videos from their mobile galleries. This initiative aims to improve road safety by encouraging active citizen participation in reporting traffic offenses.

Notes:
The National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) and Amazon launched the third phase of the Amazon Future Engineer Program in 50 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS). The program was implemented in schools across Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and Tripura. It focused on training in emerging technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, block programming, and coding. Students in classes 6-9 learned computer science fundamentals, while Class 10 students engaged in project-based virtual sessions. The objective was to prepare tribal students for STEM careers through modern technological literacy.

Notes:
World Polio Day is observed on October 24, established by Rotary International to honor Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine. Polio is a highly infectious viral disease causing paralysis and even death, mostly in children, with no cure—only prevention through vaccination. India reported 741 polio cases in 2009, the highest worldwide.
The last polio case in India was in January 2011 in Howrah, West Bengal. India’s polio eradication success came through strong government coordination, international aid, effective messaging, and overcoming cultural challenges, inspiring its COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Notes:
Bihar inaugurated its first dry port at Bihta, operating in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. The port is connected by rail to gateway ports in Kolkata, Haldia, Visakhapatnam, Nhava Sheva, and Mundra. A dry port, also known as an Inland Container Depot (ICD), provides logistics facilities away from seaports or airports for cargo handling, storage, and transportation. It helps reduce congestion at seaports/airports and facilitates efficient movement of goods between inland regions and coastal areas.