Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

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:
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the AgriSURE Fund and Krishi Nivesh Portal in New Delhi. He conferred the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Excellence Awards to top-performing banks and states. The awards recognized and appreciated outstanding efforts in agricultural infrastructure. Ministers of State and representatives from various states and banks attended the event. The Ministry believed the award ceremony would inspire other banks to improve their performance. The AIF was launched in 2022 to develop post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.

Notes:
Bengaluru’s Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, launched the ‘Nambike Nakshe’ scheme to streamline building approvals. The scheme simplifies the process for properties up to 4,000 square feet within Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) areas. It allows property owners to obtain provisional approval for building plans from certified architects or engineers. This change lets owners start planning their buildings sooner, bypassing initial approval complexities. It benefits landowners in areas developed by the Bangalore Development Authority and Karnataka Housing Board, often with plots around 50×80 feet.

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:
Researchers have discovered that an antidepressant drug has potential for cancer management through drug repurposing. Drug repurposing involves using existing drugs for new treatments or conditions not originally intended. This process, also known as drug repositioning or reprofiling, identifies new uses for drugs initially developed for different medical conditions. It is often an unexpected discovery with the goal of finding compounds with established safety profiles that could be effective for other diseases. Pharmaceutical companies use drug repurposing to address rare diseases, cancer, infections, autoimmune diseases, and more. This approach can significantly reduce the time and cost compared to developing new drugs from scratch.

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 government recently celebrated Uttarakhand’s rich folk culture at the Jagar Lok Sanskriti Utsav. A book titled Uttarakhand ka Lok Putra Pritam Bharatwan by Sachidanand Semwal was released, honoring Pritam Bharatwan as the brand ambassador of the state’s folk culture. Jagar Lok Sanskriti Utsav highlights Uttarakhand’s folk traditions. Jagar, a Hindu form of Shamanism practiced in Uttarakhand, involves rituals where gods and deities are awakened for favors or remedies. Pritam Bharatwan is recognized for promoting Uttarakhand’s traditional culture and folk arts.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India expressed a desire for stronger ties with Brunei, focusing on enhancing commercial and cultural connections during his visit to Bandar Seri Begawan. Brunei is located on the northern coast of Borneo Island in Southeast Asia and sits in both the Northern and Eastern hemispheres. It is bordered by the South China Sea to the north and surrounded by Malaysia, with two non-contiguous parts divided by Sarawak. The capital and largest city is Bandar Seri Begawan, and the highest point is Bukit Pagon, reaching 6,069 feet along the border with Malaysia. Brunei has several rivers, including Belait, Pandaruan, and Tutong, and is a significant oil producer in Southeast Asia.

Notes:
Telangana, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan recorded the highest growth in real Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) in FY24 among the 10 largest states. Telangana, the ninth largest state, grew at 9.2%, reaching ₹7.9 lakh crore, surpassing national GDP growth of 8.2%. Tamil Nadu, the third largest state, saw an 8.2% growth, reaching ₹15.7 lakh crore. Rajasthan, the seventh largest state, grew by 8%. GSDP measures the total value of all goods and services produced within a state’s boundaries in a year. GSDP is crucial for understanding a state’s economic growth and development trends over time.

Notes:
The Rajasthan government approved 33% reservation for women in the police force. A 5% additional allowance was approved for pensioners aged 70 to 75. Amendments were made to the Rajasthan Police Subordinate Services Rules, 1989. Rules 67 and 87 of the Rajasthan Civil Services Pension Rules, 1996, were amended under central pension rules. Specially-abled children, dependent parents, and siblings can now be permanently added to the Pension Payment Order (PPO). Gratuity and death gratuity for state employees were increased from ₹20 lakh to ₹25 lakh.