Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The Union Education Minister proposed renaming Ravenshaw University due to its association with the Na Anka Famine during Thomas Edward Ravenshaw’s tenure. The Na Anka Famine, also known as the Great Odisha Famine, devastated Odisha in 1866, two years before Ravenshaw University was founded in 1868. The famine was so severe that about one-third of Odisha’s population died. It occurred during the 9th Regnal year of King Divya Singha Deva of Orissa. Thomas Edward Ravenshaw, a British bureaucrat and colonial commissioner of Odisha, witnessed the famine’s devastating impact firsthand.

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.

Notes:
Valley Fever, or coccidioidomycosis, is a fungal infection caused by the Coccidioides fungus. It is found in the soil of the southwestern U.S., south-central Washington, Mexico, and parts of Central and South America. People and animals can get infected by inhaling spores from dust or disturbed soil in these regions. Most people do not get sick, but some develop mild to severe symptoms. The disease rarely spreads from person to person or animals, except in rare cases like organ transplants or wound contact. Recently, California has seen a significant rise in Valley Fever cases, raising health concerns.

Notes:
The rescue of Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin hostage from Gaza, has highlighted the Bedouin community in Israel. The Bedouins are part of Israel’s Arab minority, making up about 20% of the population. Though they hold Israeli citizenship, Bedouins face unique socio-economic challenges. Traditionally nomadic, modern pressures and state policies have affected their way of life, leading to marginalization. The Bedouin community primarily resides in the Negev Desert, which has harsh living conditions and is a center of land and resource conflicts.

Notes:
The Eastern Economic Forum 2024 was held in Vladivostok, Russia. It is an annual international event, started in 2015, aimed at boosting economic development in Russia’s Far East. The forum encourages investment and cooperation between Russia and Asia-Pacific nations. It gathers government officials, business leaders, investors, and policymakers to discuss economic opportunities and enhance regional connectivity. The event helps shape economic diplomacy and build partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. The Russian Far East borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and five countries: China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States, and North Korea.

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.

Notes:
A Bengaluru doctor noted an increase in Kawasaki disease among children after COVID-19’s second wave. Kawasaki disease, or Kawasaki syndrome, mainly affects children under 5 years. It causes fever and inflammation of blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries, leading to heart issues. The immune system attacks blood vessels, causing swelling and problems with lymph nodes, skin, and the mouth. Symptoms include fever, rash, swollen hands, red eyes, and swollen lymph glands. First identified by Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan in 1967. The cause is unknown, but cases often occur in late winter and early spring.

Notes:
Uttarakhand Chief Minister recently inaugurated the Maa Nanda-Sunanda Mahotsav, 2024, in Nainital through a virtual event, emphasizing the festival’s role in connecting people with their cultural roots. The Maa Nanda-Sunanda Mahotsav honors the goddesses Nanda and Sunanda during the Nandashtami festival in the Kumaon region, celebrated every September in places like Almora, Nainital, Kot Along, Bhowali, and Johar. Additionally, the CM declared September 2nd as Bugyal Conservation Day to protect alpine meadows, calling them the Himalayas’ ‘precious heritage.’

Notes:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) inaugurated a Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) in New Delhi on September 10, 2024. The clinic is a collaboration between the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and the institute’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical, and Sleep Medicine. The clinic’s goal is to help people who are struggling with tobacco addiction. Tobacco use is a major public health issue in India, which is the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of tobacco. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS-2), 28.6% of Indian adults aged 15 and above use tobacco in some form.

Notes:
Montelukast is widely sold in India without strict regulation, despite its potential risks. It is an oral medication used to prevent asthma attacks in adults and children over 2 years old. Montelukast also prevents breathing issues during exercise for those 6 years and older. It treats allergy symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, and congestion. Developed by Merck, it was approved by the U.S. FDA in 1998 under the brand name ‘Singulair.’ It works by blocking leukotrienes, which cause inflammation. In 2020, the U.S. FDA and the U.K. agency issued warnings about serious neuropsychiatric side effects.