Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

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:
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 Ministry of Panchayati Raj and IIM Amritsar conducted a five-day Management Development Programme. The program ran from 2nd to 6th September 2024. It included Elected Representatives and Functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions from ten states. Participants came from Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The aim was to strengthen leadership, management, and governance skills. The initiative focused on improving local governance and enhancing Panchayat services. The program supported the vision of a developed India.

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:
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:
India has approved the export of 8,606 metric tonnes of sugar to the United States for the US fiscal year 2025. This export is under the Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) scheme, as announced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
The TRQ is a trade policy that permits a limited amount of goods to be imported at a lower tariff rate. Any imports beyond the set limit are subject to higher tariffs. The TRQ helps balance protecting domestic industries while fulfilling demand through imports.

Notes:
The Agni-4 missile, developed by DRDO, was successfully tested on 6 September 2024 from Odisha’s Integrated Test Range. This was the ninth test of the nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). The test was conducted by India’s Strategic Forces Command, which oversees all nuclear weapons. Agni-4 can carry nuclear weapons and will be controlled by the Strategic Forces Command. Development of Agni-4 began in 2007 to strengthen India’s nuclear deterrence against China and Pakistan. The first test in 2010 failed, but the first successful user trial occurred in 2014.

Notes:
Two new ginger species, Globba tyrnaensis and Globba janakiae, were discovered in Meghalaya’s Double Decker Living Root Bridge area. These plants, called “dancing girls” for their flower movement, belong to the Globba genus of ornamental plants in the ginger family. Globba tyrnaensis was found in Tyrna village at 731 meters elevation and also near Thangkharang Park. It has orange flowers, large anthers, and produces bulbils for propagation. Globba janakiae, with fewer than 10 individuals, has unique heart-shaped labellum and is critically endangered. It honors botanist EK Janaki Ammal.

Notes:
Residents near the Madeira River in the Amazon face severe challenges due to historically low water levels amid a severe drought. The Madeira River is a major tributary of the Amazon River, formed by the Mamoré and Beni rivers in Bolivia, flowing northward. It forms a 100 km border between Bolivia and Brazil and is part of the 1.3 million square kilometer Madeira Basin. The basin spans Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, with 50% in Bolivia, 40% in Brazil, and 10% in Peru. The river plays a vital role in the Amazon Basin’s hydrology, supporting diverse ecosystems.

Notes:
A 35-foot statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Malvan, built less than a year ago, recently collapsed. In contrast, the Sindhudurg Fort, built by Shivaji Maharaj 357 years ago, remains intact. Sindhudurg Fort is located on Kurte Island in the Arabian Sea, near Malvan, Maharashtra. The fort, completed in 1667, was designed to protect against foreign colonizers and the Siddis of Janjira. It symbolizes the strength of the Maratha Navy and the advanced construction techniques of its time.