Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed Global Fintech Fest (GFF) 2024 held at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
The event is organized jointly by the Payments Council of India, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), and the Fintech Convergence Council (FCC). The GFF is considered one of the world’s largest gatherings of fintech startups, investors, experts, bankers, and regulators from around the globe.

Notes:
Kerala Tourism won the PATA Gold Award 2024 for its ‘Holiday Heist’ online contest in the Digital Marketing Campaign category. The campaign, launched in July 2023, used a bidding game on the WhatsApp ChatBot ‘Maya’ to attract tourists. Over 80,000 bids were made by travellers across India to visit Kerala’s prime destinations at low prices. The campaign generated more than 45 million impressions and over 13 million video views. Some participants won tour packages worth ₹30,000 for just ₹5. Kerala Tourism received the award in Bangkok on August 28, 2024.

Notes:
Mona Agarwal became a well-known figure in para shooting, winning a Bronze medal in the R2 Women 10m Air Rifle SH1 event at the 2024 Paralympics. Born on November 8, 1987, in Sikar, Rajasthan, she faced early challenges, contracting polio at nine months, affecting her lower limbs. Despite this, she pursued her education, earning a degree in arts and pursuing a master’s in psychology via distance learning. At 23, Mona chose to live independently, excelling in HR and marketing roles. In 2016, she turned to para-athletics, winning gold in State debut throw events and earning medals in para powerlifting.

Notes:
TV Somanathan has been appointed as the 33rd Cabinet Secretary of India. He succeeded Rajiv Gauba, the longest-serving Cabinet Secretary since August 2019. Rajiv Gauba, a 1982 batch IAS officer, got three one-year extensions until August 2024. The government amended retirement rules to extend Gauba’s term. Before Gauba, Pradeep Kumar Sinha held the longest term as Cabinet Secretary for over four years. Somanathan, a 1987 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IAS officer, was previously Finance Secretary and Expenditure Secretary. He has a PhD in Economics, is a Chartered Accountant, and has held significant roles in Tamil Nadu and the World Bank.

Notes:
Himanshi Tokas won a silver medal at the Asian Cadet and Junior Judo Championships. The event took place in Mungyeong, South Korea. Himanshi competed in the women’s 63-kilogram weight category. She is 19 years old and part of the Khelo Bharat program. 12 members from India participated in the competition. The event is concluded at the Mungyeong Gymnasium.

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 WHO’s “South-East Asia Regional Status Report on Road Safety” was released at the 15th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion. The South-East Asia Region accounts for 28% of global road traffic deaths, with an estimated 330,222 fatalities. In India, there were about 216,618 estimated road traffic deaths in 2021, with reported deaths at 153,972. Two- and three-wheeler drivers/riders make up 45.1% of these deaths. India’s road traffic death rate is 15.4 per 100,000 people, higher than the global rate of 15.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, approved the Digital Agriculture Mission with a budget of Rs. 2817 Crore. The central share for this mission is Rs. 1940 Crore. The mission supports digital agriculture initiatives through Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES), and other IT projects. Three main components under DPI are AgriStack, Krishi Decision Support System (DSS), and Soil Profile Maps. These components aim to provide solutions for farmers to access various services. AgriStack will include a Farmers’ Registry, Geo-referenced Village Maps, and a Crop Sown Registry managed by state governments

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly introduced Zero Hour for the first time in its proceedings. Zero Hour, an Indian parliamentary invention from the Sixties, is gradually being adopted by state assemblies. It is a convention, not a rule, and is not mentioned in the rules of Parliament or State Assemblies. Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker, Kuldeep Singh Pathania, announced its introduction at the start of the monsoon session on 3 September 2024. Zero Hour begins at 12:30 PM, after the Question Hour, and lasts for 30 minutes. During Zero Hour, members can raise urgent matters of public importance, with each member getting about a minute to speak.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Vishvasya-Blockchain Technology Stack to provide Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS). It is built on a distributed infrastructure, designed to support different permissioned blockchain applications. MeitY also introduced NBFLite, a lightweight blockchain platform, and Praamaanik, a solution for verifying mobile app origins. The National Blockchain Framework (NBF) aims to enhance digital trust and service delivery through research and application development. NBF offers secure, transparent services using smart contracts and an API gateway. The system is hosted in NIC data centers in Bhubaneswar, Pune, and Hyderabad.