Current Affairs Quiz - September, 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:
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:
Researchers explored mitochondrial dynamics to treat Parkinson’s disease, a neurodegenerative disorder caused by brain cell death. Environmental toxins and toxic proteins, like those in Manganese-induced Parkinsonism, cause mitochondrial fragmentation and dysfunction. The study found that inhibiting Dynamin-related protein (Drp1) activity could restore mitochondrial function, offering a potential treatment. Drp1 is a protein that aids in mitochondrial division for better mobility and quality control. However, excessive Drp1 activity leads to too much division, resulting in fragmented and impaired mitochondria.

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 impact of El Niño and La Niña on the Indian monsoon is under study. The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) is crucial for understanding the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. ONI is the primary indicator used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a U.S. agency, to monitor ENSO. ONI measures the rolling 3-month average temperature difference in the surface waters of the east-central tropical Pacific near the International Dateline. An ONI value of +0.5 or higher indicates El Niño, while -0.5 or lower indicates La Niña.

Notes:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated a ₹1,347 crore water supply project to provide drinking water from the Sone River to Aurangabad, Dehri, and Sasaram. The project is expected to be completed in two years. Alongside, he launched several other projects, including a state industrial training institute and technology labs. He also allocated funds to various self-help groups. These initiatives reflect the state’s focus on improving infrastructure and public services.

Notes:
India’s solar energy capacity has increased 32 times in the last decade. Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted this during the first International Solar Festival in New Delhi, held via video conferencing. India is on track to achieve 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030 and is the first G20 nation to meet Paris Agreement goals on renewable energy. The International Solar Alliance (ISA), established in 2015, now has 100 member countries. The festival celebrates solar energy’s global impact, with technical sessions, exhibitions, and cultural performances enhancing the event.

Notes:
The 5th Defence Cooperation Dialogue between India and the Maldives was held in New Delhi on September 6, 2024. Discussions included bilateral military exercises, marking the first defence dialogue after recent tensions between the two nations. Earlier, the Maldives President, as part of his “India Out” campaign, had Indian military personnel withdraw and leaned towards pro-China policies. Recent cooperation between the two countries has improved following India’s External Affairs Minister’s visit to the Maldives and the Maldives President attending India’s Prime Minister’s oath ceremony.

Notes:
India has surpassed China in the MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI), becoming the largest country by weight for the first time. The MSCI Emerging Markets Investable Market Index (IMI) includes large, mid, and small cap stocks from 24 emerging markets. With 3,355 companies, the IMI covers about 99% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization in these countries.

Notes:
The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board hosted the 5th International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on 7 September 2024 in Jaipur. This day is also known as Swach Vayu Diwas in India. Along with this, the 4th meeting of the Apex Committee of the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) took place, chaired by Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The United Nations declared 7 September as the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies in 2019. The theme for 2024 is “Invest in clean air now.”