Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
Kerala Tourism won the PATA Gold Award 2024 for its ‘Holiday Heist’ online contest in the Digital Marketing Campaign category. The campaign, launched in July 2023, used a bidding game on the WhatsApp ChatBot ‘Maya’ to attract tourists. Over 80,000 bids were made by travellers across India to visit Kerala’s prime destinations at low prices. The campaign generated more than 45 million impressions and over 13 million video views. Some participants won tour packages worth ₹30,000 for just ₹5. Kerala Tourism received the award in Bangkok on August 28, 2024.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh Cabinet approved a new social media policy to regulate content on platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, and YouTube. Social media influencers can earn up to ₹8 lakh per month by promoting government schemes. The policy aims to create job opportunities for residents within the state and those living elsewhere. Platforms are divided into four categories based on followers for payouts. Maximum monthly payouts range from ₹2 lakh to ₹8 lakh depending on the platform and content type. A digital agency named ‘V-Form’ will manage government advertisements. The policy includes guidelines for handling objectionable content, targeting anti-national, anti-social, fake news, or inflammatory posts.

Notes:
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) advised citizens to stay indoors due to heavy rains causing the Musi River to rise. The Musi River flows through Telangana and is a tributary of the Krishna River. The river was historically known as the Muchukunda River. Hyderabad is situated on its banks, with the river dividing the old and new parts of the city. The Musi River originates in the Anantagiri Hills near Vicarabad, covering about 240 km before joining the Krishna River. Two dams, Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar, are constructed over the Musi River.

Notes:
Zoologists in Assam have recently added a new spider species, Phrynarachne decipiens, to India’s list of arachnids. Commonly known as the bird dung or bird-dropping crab spider, it mimics bird excrement with its web. Previously found in Malaysia and Indonesia’s Java and Sumatra, it has now been recorded in Assam’s Sonapur and Chirang Reserve Forest. The spider is usually motionless on the upper side of broad leaves, blending in with its white, bird-dropping-like web. It features stout spermathecae, a reproductive organ in females, with nearly touching posterior heads. The genus Phrynarachne has 35 accepted species; three others were previously recorded and re-described from Assam.

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:
The Konyak Union has requested the Nagaland government to fix the boundary line error between Mon district in Nagaland and Charaideo district in Assam on Google Maps. The Konyaks live in Mon district, Nagaland, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh (Tirap and Changlang districts). The term ‘Konyak’ translates to “men with black hair,” and they are divided into two groups: “Thendu” (Tattooed Face) and “Thentho” (White Face). The Konyaks are of Mongoloid origin, with 95% following Christianity. They speak the Konyak language from the Sino-Tibetan family and celebrate festivals like Aolingmonyu, Aonyimo, and Laoun-ongmo. They excel in making firearms, handicrafts, and their society is patriarchal.

Notes:
The first Joint Commanders’ Conference held in Lucknow with the theme ‘Sashakt and Surakshit Bharat: Transforming Armed Forces’. The focus is on preparing India’s military for the changing operational environment. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan and the chiefs of the Army, Navy, and Air Force are leading the event. General Chauhan reviewed the security situation and stressed the importance of jointness and future integration for modern warfare.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ initiative in Surat, Gujarat, via video conferencing. The program involves constructing around 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures to enhance water sustainability. He emphasized the importance of public participation in water conservation to secure a sustainable future for upcoming generations. He stated that future generations will evaluate us based on our approach to water. Water conservation is deeply rooted in India’s culture, with initiatives like Jal Jivan Mission and Atal Bhujal Yojana supporting this cause. He called for adopting new technologies to address water scarcity issues.

Notes:
Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus. It is found in the soil of the southwestern U.S., south-central Washington, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. People and animals can get infected by inhaling spores from dust or disturbed soil in these regions. Most people do not get sick, but some develop mild to severe symptoms. The disease rarely spreads from person to person or animals, except in rare cases like organ transplants or wound contact. Recently, California has seen a significant rise in Valley Fever cases, raising health concerns.

Notes:
The Eastern Economic Forum 2024 was held in Vladivostok, Russia. It is an annual international event, started in 2015, aimed at boosting economic development in Russia’s Far East. The forum encourages investment and cooperation between Russia and Asia-Pacific nations. It gathers government officials, business leaders, investors, and policymakers to discuss economic opportunities and enhance regional connectivity. The event helps shape economic diplomacy and build partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. The Russian Far East borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and five countries: China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States, and North Korea.