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:
Poba Reserve Forest in Assam’s Dhemaji district will soon become a wildlife sanctuary. It is a rainforest in northeastern Assam, created in 1924, covering 10,221 hectares. It is located near the Himalayan foothills. The forest is bordered by the Siang, Dibang, and Lohit rivers, Brahmaputra, Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, and Jonai villages. Ethnic groups like Mising, Bodo, Sonowal Kachari, and Hajong inhabit the area. Rich in flora and fauna, including slow loris, capped langur, and wild boar. Home to 45 species of birds and reptiles, and diverse fish species. Important migratory route for elephants, connecting other wildlife areas.

Notes:
Recently, five people fell unconscious and were hospitalized in Visakhapatnam while shifting acetanilide bags between containers. Acetanilide is a synthetic organic compound with the formula C8H9NO, also known as N-phenylacetamide or acetanil. It is a white, odorless solid related to acetic acid and was first used as a fever-reducing drug in 1886.
Acetanilide was used for pain relief, including headaches and cramps, but has been largely replaced by acetaminophen (paracetamol) due to toxic side effects that affect hemoglobin function. It is still used as an intermediate in producing dyes, rubber, and other chemicals.

Notes:
A recent man-eating wolf attack in Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh, has put about 35 villages on high alert. Forest officials have launched ‘Project Bhediya’ to capture the wolves involved. India has two wolf species: the Indian Wolf in peninsular regions and the Himalayan Wolf in the upper trans-Himalayan ranges. Wolves are highly social, living in packs of 6-8, running at high speeds, and maintaining a male dominance hierarchy. They communicate through vocalizations and scent-marking. Grey Wolf is listed as Least Concern by IUCN, while the Himalayan Wolf is Vulnerable; both are protected under Schedule I of WPA, 1974.

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:
Yogesh Kathuniya won the silver medal in the men’s discus F56 final at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The event took place at Stade de France. Kathuniya, 27 years old, achieved his season-best throw of 42.22 meters. Brazil’s Claudiney Batista dos Santos won gold with a Paralympic Record of 46.86 meters. Greece’s Konstantinos Tzounis secured the bronze medal with a throw of 41.32 meters. Slovakia’s Dusan Laczko finished fourth with a throw of 41.20 meters. Serbia’s Nebojsa Duric qualified but did not participate in the final.

Notes:
In response to a tragic crime of the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical Centre and Hospital on August 9, the West Bengal Assembly passed the Aparajita Woman and Child (West Bengal Criminal Laws Amendment) Bill, 2024, to strengthen protections for women and children. The bill amends several criminal laws, including the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012. It proposes harsher penalties for rape, including life imprisonment for the convict’s natural life or the death penalty. The bill mandates time-bound investigations of rape cases within 21 days. It also imposes penalties for unauthorized publication of court proceedings and ensures convicts bear victims’ medical costs.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered that an antidepressant drug has potential for cancer management through drug repurposing. Drug repurposing involves using existing drugs for new treatments or conditions not originally intended. This process, also known as drug repositioning or reprofiling, identifies new uses for drugs initially developed for different medical conditions. It is often an unexpected discovery with the goal of finding compounds with established safety profiles that could be effective for other diseases. Pharmaceutical companies use drug repurposing to address rare diseases, cancer, infections, autoimmune diseases, and more. This approach can significantly reduce the time and cost compared to developing new drugs from scratch.

Notes:
The impact of El Niño and La Niña on the Indian monsoon is under study. The Oceanic Niño Index (ONI) is crucial for understanding the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dynamics. ONI is the primary indicator used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a U.S. agency, to monitor ENSO. ONI measures the rolling 3-month average temperature difference in the surface waters of the east-central tropical Pacific near the International Dateline. An ONI value of +0.5 or higher indicates El Niño, while -0.5 or lower indicates La Niña.