Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) approved the resumption of the big cat relocation project in Satkosia Tiger Reserve, Odisha, after a four-and-a-half-year suspension. Satkosia Tiger Reserve is located in Odisha, spanning four districts: Angul, Cuttack, Boudh, and Nayagarh. It covers 1,136.70 sq. km., with a core area of 523.61 sq. km., and is part of the Mahanadi Elephant Reserve. The reserve is a meeting point of the Deccan Peninsula and Eastern Ghats regions. The terrain is hilly with slopes and valleys; the Mahanadi River flows through it.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved Kaynes Semicon Pvt Ltd to set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat, under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM). This is the fifth semiconductor unit approved under ISM. ISM is a specialized division within the Digital India Corporation. It aims to make India a global hub for electronics manufacturing and design by building a strong semiconductor and display ecosystem. ISM has full administrative and financial powers and an advisory board of global semiconductor experts. Launched in 2021, ISM operates under the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) with a budget of ₹76,000 crores. ISM supports semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, and design initiatives.

Notes:
An elephant patrol team recently rescued a tusker stuck in a rail barricade in the Maddur range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. Bandipur Tiger Reserve is located in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts of Karnataka, at the tri-junction of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala. Geographically, it is an “ecological confluence” of the Western and Eastern Ghats.
The reserve was once a hunting ground for the Mysore kingdom rulers. It was established as Venugopala Wildlife Park in 1931 by the Maharaja of Mysore and expanded as Bandipur Tiger Reserve under Project Tiger in 1973. The reserve is bordered by the Kabini River to the north and the Moyar River to the south. Bandipur experiences a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Notes:
“Vishanu Yuddh Abhyas” is a mock drill conducted under the National One Health Mission (NOHM) to prepare for pandemic situations. NOHM focuses on the “One Health” approach, integrating disease control across human health, animal husbandry, and wildlife sectors. The exercise aimed to assess the readiness and response of the National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT). A simulated scenario of a zoonotic disease outbreak was created to mimic a real-world situation. The drill involved multiple national and state agencies, including ICMR, AIIMS Jodhpur BSL-3 Lab, and state administrations.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Vishvasya-Blockchain Technology Stack to provide Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS). It is built on a distributed infrastructure, designed to support different permissioned blockchain applications. MeitY also introduced NBFLite, a lightweight blockchain platform, and Praamaanik, a solution for verifying mobile app origins. The National Blockchain Framework (NBF) aims to enhance digital trust and service delivery through research and application development. NBF offers secure, transparent services using smart contracts and an API gateway. The system is hosted in NIC data centers in Bhubaneswar, Pune, and Hyderabad.

Notes:
India has approved the export of 8,606 metric tonnes of sugar to the United States for the US fiscal year 2025. This export is under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) scheme, as announced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
The TRQ is a trade policy that permits a limited amount of goods to be imported at a lower tariff rate. Any imports beyond the set limit are subject to higher tariffs. The TRQ helps balance protecting domestic industries while fulfilling demand through imports.

Notes:
The Union Minister of Science and Technology virtually inaugurated 8 new NIDHI i-TBIs and a Department of Science and Technology’s initiative (DST-NIDHI) website at IIT Delhi, marking 8 years of DST-NIDHI. The National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI) was launched in 2016 to nurture start-ups by supporting and scaling innovations. NIDHI involves central and state governments, academic institutions, financial bodies, and private sectors. It is funded by the National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).

Notes:
A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan, built less than a year ago, recently collapsed. In contrast, the Sindhudurg Fort, built by Shivaji Maharaj 357 years ago, remains intact. Sindhudurg Fort is located on Kurte Island in the Arabian Sea, near Malvan, Maharashtra. The fort, completed in 1667, was designed to protect against foreign colonizers and the Siddis of Janjira. It symbolizes the strength of the Maratha Navy and the advanced construction techniques of its time.

Notes:
The 17th Paris Paralympics concluded on 8 September 2024 with a ceremony at Stade de France, Paris. It was held from 28 August to 8 September 2024, organized by the International Paralympics Committee. The 18th Summer Paralympics will take place in Los Angeles, USA, in 2028. India won a record 29 medals, surpassing the 19-medal haul from the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. China topped the medal tally with 220 medals, while India ranked 18th. Harvinder Singh and Preeti Pal were India’s flag bearers at the closing ceremony.

Notes:
The 20th edition of the India-USA Joint Military Exercise YUDH ABHYAS-2024 began at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan. The exercise is scheduled to be conducted from 9th to 22nd September 2024. Yudh Abhyas is an annual joint military exercise between India and the USA, ongoing since 2004. The exercise fosters cooperation between the two militaries, focusing on training, cultural exchanges, and developing joint operational skills. The previous edition took place at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA.