Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The Union government has decided to establish foot-and-mouth disease-free zones in eight states: Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) is a highly contagious viral illness affecting livestock such as cattle, swine, sheep, and goats, but not horses, dogs, or cats. It impacts livestock production and disrupts trade but poses no human health or food safety risk. FMD is caused by an aphthovirus and has seven strains. Immunity to one strain does not protect against others. The disease spreads through excretions and secretions, with high transmission rates in young animals but low fatality in adults.

Notes:
Nishad Kumar won a silver medal in the men’s T47 high jump at the Paris Paralympics on September 2. He achieved a season-best jump of 2.04 meters to secure second place. This was his second silver medal, having previously won silver at the Tokyo Paralympics. Townsend-Roberts from the United States won the gold medal with a jump of 2.08 meters. Georgii Margiev from Russia secured the bronze medal.

Notes:
Odisha granted habitat rights to Saora tribals in Gajapati district, making it the state with the most habitat rights for particularly vulnerable tribal groups (PVTGs). The Saora tribe is one of Odisha’s ancient tribes, mentioned in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. They are also known as Savaras, Sabaras, Saura, and Sora. Besides Odisha, Saoras live in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam. They speak the Sora language, a Munda language, and use the Sorang Sompeng script. Saoras have Proto Australoid features, a complex religion with many gods, and unique art and tattoo traditions.
Economically, they are divided into plains Saoras (agriculture and wage work) and hill Saoras (shifting and terraced cultivation).

Notes:
IIT Delhi’s first international campus was inaugurated in Abu Dhabi by Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. This new campus aims to enhance the UAE’s status as a global education and innovation hub. It is the second international IIT campus, following IIT Madras’s in Zanzibar. The inaugural cohort includes 52 students pursuing undergraduate degrees in Computer Science and Energy Engineering. Students were admitted through JEE Advanced and CAET exams and come from various backgrounds, including Indian, Emirati, and international students. IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi also launched an MTech program in Energy Transition and Sustainability earlier this year.

Notes:
In response to a tragic crime of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital on August 9, the West Bengal Assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, to strengthen protections for women and children. The bill amends several criminal laws, including the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012. It proposes harsher penalties for rape, including life imprisonment for the convict’s natural life or the death penalty. The bill mandates time-bound investigations of rape cases within 21 days. It also imposes penalties for unauthorized publication of court proceedings and ensures convicts bear victims’ medical costs.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Security recently approved the procurement of 240 aero-engines for Su-30MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). The Su-30MKI is a multirole combat fighter aircraft developed jointly by Sukhoi Design Bureau and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the IAF. It is based on the Su-30 fighter aircraft and features thrust vectoring control and canards. The Su-30MKI is a fourth-generation fighter jet powered by two AL-31FP aero engines, which are high-temperature turbojet by-pass engines. The aircraft is equipped with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles, tested successfully in November 2017. It includes a Tarang Radar Warning Receiver (RWR) developed by DRDO. The Su-30MKI has a maximum unrefueled flight range of 3,000 km, which can extend to 8,000 km with two in-flight refuelings. The aircraft is manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Notes:
The Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (CMLRE) recently held a national workshop on the Indian Ocean Biodiversity Information System (IndOBIS) in Kochi. IndOBIS is the Indian regional node of the global Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS). Hosted by CMLRE, IndOBIS collects data on marine species in the Indian Ocean and contributes to OBIS. OBIS is a large global repository with millions of marine species records from various contributors worldwide. It provides detailed information on species distribution, habitats, and environmental data across the world’s oceans.
OBIS offers tools for searching, visualizing, and downloading biodiversity data.

Notes:
The Ministry of Labor and Employment has approved the Centralized Pension Payment System (CPPS) for the Employees’ Pension Scheme. CPPS will create a national system allowing pensioners to receive their pensions from any bank branch across India. Currently, the pension system is decentralized, with each regional EPFO office working with only a few banks. CPPS will be launched as part of EPFO’s Centralized IT Enabled System (CITES 2.01) on January 1, 2025. In the future, CPPS will support a transition to an Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS).

Notes:
A rare meteorite fragment was found in the Eastern Cape province. The fragment is known as the Nqweba Meteorite and is a small, black, shiny object with a light grey inside. When the meteorite entered Earth’s atmosphere, it experienced strong friction, creating a fireball. This friction caused the meteorite to break apart while still in flight. A meteorite is a solid piece of space debris that manages to pass through Earth’s atmosphere and reach the ground safely.

Notes:
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs announced that 90% of the Smart Cities Mission projects are completed. The remaining 10% are delayed due to legal issues, department clearances, land acquisition, construction in hilly areas, and resource availability in smaller cities. Out of 100 smart cities, 17 cities have finished all their projects, and 34 cities have completed over 90%. The Smart Cities Mission, launched in 2015, aims to develop cities with good infrastructure, a sustainable environment, and better quality of life. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, selecting 100 cities through a two-stage competition.