Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
Oceanographers found a new seamount on the Nazca Ridge, 900 miles off Chile’s coast. Nazca Ridge is a submarine ridge in the southeastern Pacific Ocean near South America. It is around 1,100 kilometers long and varies in width. The ridge starts at the Nazca Plate off Peru and extends southwest towards Easter Island, Chile. It was created by volcanic activity from a hotspot in the Earth’s mantle. The ridge consists of unusually thick basaltic ocean crust.
It is tectonically active, subducting beneath the South American Plate at the Peru-Chile Trench.

Notes:
Dhulikhel, Nepal, is the first city in the country to be recognized as a “healthy city” by the World Health Organization (WHO). Dhulikhel is located in the Kavrepalanchok district, about 18 miles from Kathmandu. The WHO monitored Dhulikhel for two years before making the announcement in August 2024. The WHO’s decision was based on factors like environmental improvements, progress in primary health care, and access to health for poor citizens. Dhulikhel was also named the second healthiest city in Asia.

Notes:
The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) advised citizens to stay indoors due to heavy rains causing the Musi River to rise. The Musi River flows through Telangana and is a tributary of the Krishna River. The river was historically known as the Muchukunda River. Hyderabad is situated on its banks, with the river dividing the old and new parts of the city. The Musi River originates in the Anantagiri Hills near Vicarabad, covering about 240 km before joining the Krishna River. Two dams, Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar, are constructed over the Musi River.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry recommended an anti-dumping duty on aluminium foil imported from China. Anti-dumping duty is a tariff imposed on foreign imports priced below fair market value. Dumping occurs when a product is exported at a price lower than in its domestic market. The duty matches the price difference between the import price and market value in the exporting or other similar markets. It aims to protect local businesses from unfair competition by foreign imports. The World Trade Organization (WTO) allows anti-dumping measures to ensure fair competition. Legal action requires evidence of genuine harm to domestic industries.

Notes:
The Ministry of Labour & Employment launched the eShram portal on 26th August 2021. In just three years, over 30 crore unorganised workers registered on eShram, showing rapid adoption. The portal aims to be a “One-Stop-Solution” for unorganised workers, integrating with other platforms. This integration was highlighted in the 2024-25 Budget speech to improve access to social security schemes. eShram will help unorganised workers access schemes like PMJJBY, PMSBY, AB-PMJAY, and others. A two-way integration with the Skill India Digital Hub (SIDH) is also underway to enhance service accessibility.

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:
Russian troops recently used a Grom-E1 hybrid missile to hit Kharkiv, Ukraine. The Grom-E1 is a modernized weapon based on the Soviet-era Kh-38 missile. It was developed by Russia and first introduced in 2018. The Grom-E1 combines features of both a missile and an aerial bomb. It has a maximum range of 120 km, with a high-explosive warhead and a contact detonator. A variant with a thermobaric design can detonate at high altitudes. The effectiveness depends on the altitude and speed of the launching aircraft. It can be launched from Russian aircraft like the MiG-35, Su-34, Su-35, and Su-57.

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 Ministry of Women and Child Development won the National Award for e-Governance 2024 (Gold) for the Poshan Tracker initiative. The Poshan Tracker monitors the growth of children aged 0-6 years using real-time data and WHO growth charts to ensure proper nutrition. Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) assess children’s health and intervene when growth issues arise. Advanced ICT tools and Growth Measuring Devices (GMD) are used at Anganwadi Centers for accurate monitoring. The app improves child health outcomes, covering millions under Mission Poshan 2.0. It also manages services for pregnant women, mothers, and children, digitizing Anganwadi workers’ records.

Notes:
The second phase of ‘Exercise Tarang Shakti 24’ was held at Air Force Station Jodhpur. It involved international participation, including Australia, which contributed three EA-18G Growler aircraft and 120 personnel. The exercise took place from August 30 to September 13 and aimed to strengthen regional security cooperation. Other participating nations included Greece, Sri Lanka, the UAE, Japan, Singapore, and the US. The event highlighted the strategic importance of Jodhpur as a key location for military collaborations.