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:
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:
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 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 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.

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.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Electronics & IT launched the 2nd Cohort of the Startup Accelerators of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth (SAMRIDH) scheme. SAMRIDH, started in August 2021, is a flagship program of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the National Policy on Software Products – 2019. The program supports 300 software startups with a ₹99 crore budget over 4 years. It helps existing and new accelerators select and scale potential IT-based startups. SAMRIDH provides startups with customer connections, investor connections, and international market access to boost growth. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, development, and growth in the tech sector.

Notes:
Sea turtles in Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), are showing improvement in health after years of suffering from fibropapillomatosis. Fibropapillomatosis is a serious infectious disease affecting sea turtles globally, causing benign tumors on their bodies. These tumors hinder the turtles’ movement, vision, and feeding, often leading to death. The disease is caused by a herpes virus and is linked to polluted coastal areas, high human density, agricultural runoff, and harmful algae.

Notes:
Siddhartha Agarwal, a 49-year-old swimmer from Bengaluru, became the oldest Indian to swim across the English Channel. He completed the 42-km swim between England and France on August 29 in 15 hours and six minutes. His journey began in 2018 when he crossed the Channel as part of an eight-member relay team. Srikaanth Viswanathan, also from Bengaluru, held the previous record at 46, becoming the oldest to swim the Channel solo.

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.