Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The Indian Army launched Project NAMAN to support Defence Pensioners, Veterans, and their families. The project is based on the SPARSH digital pension system, simplifying pension processes for Defence personnel. Reception and facilitation centers were set up through an MoU between the Indian Army, CSC e-Governance India Limited, and HDFC Bank. These centers offer SPARSH-enabled pension services and other citizen services at one location. In the first phase, 14 centers were established in key cities like New Delhi, Jalandhar, and Bangalore. Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs), often veterans, manage these centers with HDFC Bank’s financial support.

Notes:
The Women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament in 2024 will be held in Rajgir, Bihar, from November 11-20. This event is a milestone for Bihar, as it will take place at the newly-developed Rajgir Hockey Stadium. Top Asian teams, including India, China, Japan, and Korea, will compete in the tournament. The event highlights Bihar’s commitment to promoting hockey and hosting international sports. The inauguration of the stadium and the support from local leaders showcase Bihar’s readiness for global events.

Notes:
Poachers killed two chitals in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) and stole a rifle from a forest guard. It is located in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit, Lakhimpur Kheri, and Bahraich districts. It lies near the India-Nepal border, in the foothills of the Himalayas and the Terai plains. The Gomti River originates from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, with other rivers like Sharda also flowing through it. The reserve has a North Indian moist deciduous type of vegetation. It experiences a hot and dry climate with dry teak forests. Chitals, common in Indian forests, inhabit subtropical grasslands and forests across South Asia.

Notes:
Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Vishnu Dev Sahay announced that on September 2, during the Tija-Pora festival, he will release the 7th installment of the Mahtari Vandan Scheme. The scheme will provide Rs. 1,000 each to 7 million eligible women. Eligibility includes Chhattisgarh residents aged 21+ as of January 1, 2024, including married, widowed, divorced, or abandoned women, excluding income taxpayers and government employees. Tija-Pora celebrates the role of bulls and buffaloes in farming, marking the end of the agricultural season. The Government of Chhattisgarh introduced the Mahtari Vandana Yojana to provide financial aid to women in need. The scheme was initiated by the Prime Minister of India. It aims to support women in Chhattisgarh by offering financial benefits to those who qualify.

Notes:
India Post Payment Bank (IPPB) recently celebrated its 7th Foundation Day. IPPB was established under the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communication, with 100% ownership by the Government of India. It aims to provide efficient banking services to every household in India, enhancing financial security and empowerment. IPPB leverages a vast postal network of over 1,61,000 post offices across the country. Services offered include savings and current accounts, Direct Benefit Transfers, bill and utility payments, and access to third-party products like loans and insurance.

Notes:
Sharath Kamal has been named the first Indian ambassador of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Foundation.
The announcement was made during day 11 of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) season five at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. Sharath was elected to the ITTF’s Athlete’s Commission in November 2022. He will promote table tennis for development, especially among children from underprivileged backgrounds. He holds the record for the most medals in Commonwealth Games history for table tennis, including 13 medals with three golds at the 2022 Birmingham Games.

Notes:
Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) member states signed a Charter and MoU to establish the CSC Secretariat in Colombo. CSC is a regional security group that includes India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Mauritius. Its main goal is to enhance regional security by addressing shared transnational threats. CSC started as the Trilateral for Maritime Security Cooperation in 2011, involving India, Maldives, and Sri Lanka. Tensions between India and the Maldives paused its activities after 2014. Revived and renamed in 2020, Mauritius and Bangladesh joined as members, with Seychelles as an observer. CSC meetings include National Security Advisors and their deputies.

Notes:
The three-day Armed Forces Festival began at Surya Khel Parisar in Lucknow Cantonment with much enthusiasm. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the festival. He praised the Indian Armed Forces as unparalleled globally, recognized even by India’s enemies. He highlighted Uttar Pradesh’s leading role in national defense efforts. The Defense Corridor in Uttar Pradesh provides significant employment opportunities for youth. Over 8,000 people attended the festival, enjoying a display of the latest military equipment. The exhibition showcased tanks, helicopters, artillery guns, and more, highlighting India’s technological advancements. The T-90 tank was a notable exhibit.

Notes:
The National Test House (NTH) signed an MoU with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to promote energy efficiency in India.
NTH is a premier institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. It was established in 1912 as the Government Test House. NTH is India’s largest multi-location, multidisciplinary testing laboratory under the Central Government. It deals with testing, calibration, and quality evaluation for industry, commerce, and trade, following international and national standards. NTH provides support to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). It is the first government body to certify drones in India.

Notes:
Ministry of Law and Justice launched the new Notary Portal in New Delhi, enhancing digital services in line with Digital India. The portal offers a paperless, faceless, and efficient system, benefiting both notaries and the public. It provides online services, including applications for appointment as notaries, issuance and renewal of Certificates of Practice, change of practice area, and submission of annual returns. Notaries can now submit applications online, monitor their progress, and download digitally signed Certificates of Practice via Digilocker, eliminating the need for physical submissions.