Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
International Whale Shark Day is celebrated annually on August 30. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a filter-feeding shark species. They are found in temperate and tropical oceans globally, except the Mediterranean Sea.
Whale sharks have a dark gray top with light spots and stripes, providing camouflage, and a mouth at the front of the head. They are filter feeders, processing over 6,000 liters of water per hour through their gills. Their diet includes plankton, small fish, and mollusks like sardines, anchovies, and squid. The IUCN classifies whale sharks as endangered.

Notes:
The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) has postponed granting Environmental Clearance (EC) for Stage-II of the Uri-I Hydroelectric Project. The Uri-I Hydroelectric Project is located on the Jhelum River in Uri town, Baramulla district, Jammu & Kashmir. It is close to the Line of Control (LOC) between India and Pakistan. Commissioned in 1997, the project has an installed capacity of 480 MW. The plant is owned by the Central Government and operated by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (NHPC). It has four units, each with a capacity of 120 MW.

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 National Test House (NTH) signed an MoU with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to promote energy efficiency in India.
NTH is a premier institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution. It was established in 1912 as the Government Test House. NTH is India’s largest multi-location, multidisciplinary testing laboratory under the Central Government. It deals with testing, calibration, and quality evaluation for industry, commerce, and trade, following international and national standards. NTH provides support to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL). It is the first government body to certify drones in India.

Notes:
Ministry of Law and Justice launched the new Notary Portal in New Delhi, enhancing digital services in line with Digital India. The portal offers a paperless, faceless, and efficient system, benefiting both notaries and the public. It provides online services, including applications for appointment as notaries, issuance and renewal of Certificates of Practice, change of practice area, and submission of annual returns. Notaries can now submit applications online, monitor their progress, and download digitally signed Certificates of Practice via Digilocker, eliminating the need for physical submissions.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the India Graphene Engineering and Innovation Centre (I-GEIC) as part of the Graphene Aurora program (GAP) in Kerala. The GAP is managed by Digital University Kerala.
The IGEIC is a non-profit organization based in Trivandrum, Kerala. Its goal is to become a leading center for the commercialization of graphene technology. The IGEIC aims to bridge the gap between research and commercialization by offering comprehensive facilities for startups and industries. Previously, MeitY had established India’s first graphene center, the India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG), in Kerala.

Notes:
A new jumping spider species, Carrhotus piperus, has been discovered in the lower Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu. It was found on pepper plants, about two meters above the ground. The name piperus comes from the plant Piper nigrum, reflecting its habitat. This discovery adds to the rich biodiversity of the region and brings the total Carrhotus species in India to 10, and globally to 37. The spider is unique due to its prolateral protrusion and beak-shaped embolus. The Palani Hills are part of the Western Ghats and are a continuation of the Anaimalai Hills in Kerala.

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:
The government introduced new rules for the Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), effective from 1 October 2024. SSY, launched in 2015 under the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” campaign, is a small-deposit savings scheme for girl children. Guardians can open an SSY account for their girl child, who must be under 10 years old and an Indian resident. The scheme allows a minimum deposit of ₹250 and a maximum of ₹1.5 lakh annually, with deposits for 15 years and maturity at 21 years. Partial withdrawal up to 50% is allowed for education after age 18. SSY offers tax benefits under Sections 80C and 10 of the Income Tax Act. New rules require the transfer of guardianship from grandparents to legal guardians or parents, else the account will be permanently closed.

Notes:
Iran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles, including the Fath-360, to Russia, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Fath-360 is a precise and mobile Iranian SRBM designed for tactical strikes on military and infrastructure targets. It weighs 787 kilograms and travels at speeds of Mach 3 to 4. Equipped with a solid-fuel engine, it enables rapid deployment with a range of 120 to 300 kilometers. It carries a 150-kilogram warhead and is difficult to intercept due to its small, maneuverable design. The missile uses an inertial guidance system and satellite navigation for 30-meter accuracy. The Fath-360 is launched from a truck-mounted system capable of deploying multiple missiles.