Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
A new orchid species, Coelogyne tripurensis, was discovered in Jampui Hills, Tripura. It comes from moist broadleaf forests in the Indo-Myanmar Biodiversity Hotspot. The genus Coelogyne has around 600 species, native to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and Pacific Islands. These orchids are mostly epiphytic, valued for their ornamental appeal and easy growth. The new species belongs to the Fuliginosae section, known for showy flowers and a unique labellum. High phenotypic plasticity makes species in this group hard to classify.

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Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita represented India at the inauguration of Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka on October 19-20, 2024. India and Indonesia are celebrating 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2024. Prabowo Subianto, the 8th President of Indonesia, succeeded Joko Widodo after winning the presidential election on February 14, 2024. The Indonesian presidency term lasts five years, with a maximum of two terms. Gibran Rakabuming Raka, the new Vice President, is the son of Joko Widodo.

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India’s National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) launched its first Mid-Career Training Programme for civil servants from BIMSTEC nations. BIMSTEC is a regional organization of seven countries around the Bay of Bengal: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Thailand. Established on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration, its goal is to promote economic cooperation among its member states. BIMSTEC focuses on 14 areas of cooperation, with India leading in Transport & Communication, Tourism, Environment & Disaster Management, and Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime.

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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.

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Scientists have discovered a new snake species in the Western Himalayas, named Anguiculus dicaprioi after actor Leonardo DiCaprio. It belongs to the Colubridae family, which includes over 1,800 snake species. The new species has many small teeth, grows about 22 inches long, and features a broad collar with dark brown spots. It has a robust skull and steeply domed snout, living at around 6,000 feet elevation. Commonly known as ‘DiCaprio’s Himalayan snake,’ it is found in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Nepal. These snakes are most active from late May to August and are non-venomous.

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IndiaAI and Meta have launched the Center for Generative AI, Shrijan at IIT Jodhpur to foster AI innovation. Shrijan will support next-gen AI innovators using open-source AI, focusing on Large Language Models (LLMs). Research will be shared through All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and college networks, with hackathons to discover local use cases. Master workshops will introduce LLM basics to colleges and ITIs, encouraging youth engagement. The center aims to nurture 100,000 youth in AI skills within 3 years. Meta will fund up to INR 750 lakhs over three years, and IndiaAI will support researchers at Shrijan.

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The U.S., Japan, and South Korea signed the DiGi Framework to support digital infrastructure growth in India. Partner agencies include the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), and Korea Eximbank. The initiative aims to collaborate with Indian private companies in sectors like 5G, Open RAN, submarine cables, optical fiber networks, data centers, smart cities, e-commerce, AI, and quantum tech. India’s Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), including Aadhaar, UPI, and data-sharing systems, enabled 80% financial inclusion and supported 87% of poor households during COVID-19. DPI can boost economic growth by 33% and accelerate emission reductions by up to 10 years.

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Assam’s Bibhab Kumar Talukdar received the prestigious Harry Messel Award from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC). The award was presented on October 25 at the 5th IUCN SSC leaders’ meeting in Abu Dhabi, with over 300 conservation experts attending. He was recognized for his on-ground and leadership contributions to species conservation.
He joined IUCN SSC in 1991 and has chaired the Asian Rhino Specialist Group since 2008. Founder of Aaranyak, a key conservation organization in Northeast India, Talukdar has published over 70 scientific papers and led more than 60 projects over 25 years.

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The ‘Act4Dyslexia’ campaign recently illuminated prominent monuments in Delhi, including Rashtrapati Bhavan and Parliament, in red to raise awareness about dyslexia. This initiative, supported by UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP) and ChangeInkk Foundation, highlights the challenges faced by individuals with learning disabilities, affecting about 20% of India’s population. The campaign aims to foster understanding and inclusivity, while also dispelling myths surrounding dyslexia, often mischaracterized as a “slow-learner syndrome.

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The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) launched two Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs) ‘Adamya’ and ‘Akshar’ to enhance maritime security and surveillance capabilities. These vessels, built by Goa Shipyard Ltd. with over 60% indigenous content, are designed for monitoring, control, and surveillance. The ICG aims to achieve self-reliance in defense, exemplified by this launch utilizing advanced shipbuilding techniques and indigenous materials.