India Current Affairs [Nation & States] MCQs

Notes:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) launched its ‘One Scientist-One Product’ programme on July 16, enhancing research in agriculture and animal husbandry. During its 96th foundation day celebration in Delhi, ICAR announced 323 new crop varieties, including 289 climate-resilient and 27 bio-fortified types. The programme was inaugurated by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

Notes:
Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia launched the North East Region Agri Commodity E-Connect (NERACE) web portal and app in Shillong to benefit Northeastern farmers and buyers. NERACE supports products like spices, fruits, and vegetables, providing farmers with larger markets and better pricing. The platform supports seven languages and aims to connect producers, buyers, and service providers globally. It emphasizes the region’s potential as a hub for high-value horticultural products.

Notes:
The National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) is constructing a new ocean research vessel for India’s Deep Ocean Mission to explore rare minerals in the Indian Ocean. Established in 1998, NCPOR is India’s leading R&D institution for Polar and Southern Ocean research. It coordinates polar expeditions and scientific research in Antarctica, the Arctic, the Himalayas, and the Southern Ocean, and is located in Vasco da Gama, Goa, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Notes:
On 25 July 2024, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced the winners of the 10th National Community Radio Award and inaugurated India’s 500th Community Radio Station at the Indian Institute of Mass Communication in Aizawl, Mizoram. Named Apna Radio 90.0 FM, it will provide weather updates, government schemes, and agriculture information. Community Radios, unlike public and commercial radio, are low-power stations operated by local communities in local languages, focusing on issues like nutrition and health. They can be set up by educational institutions, community-based organizations, registered societies, and trusts.

Notes:
The Quality Council of India introduced the QCI Surajya Recognition & Ranking Framework to drive excellence among states in key sectors. It focuses on four pillars: Shiksha (Education), Swasthya (Health), Samriddhi (Prosperity), and Sushasan (Governance). The August rankings highlight Uttar Pradesh leading in Shiksha, while Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Mizoram, and Manipur excel in Swasthya. Gujarat, Karnataka, and Rajasthan lead in Samriddhi. The initiative aims to improve citizens’ quality of life and recognize innovation.

Notes:
The Indian Army and Air Force conducted the first paradrop of the Aarogya Maitri Health Cube at 15,000 feet elevation. Aarogya Maitri Health Cube is the world’s first portable hospital, designed indigenously under Project BHISHM. It includes medical equipment like a mini-ICU, operation theatre, cooking station, food, water, power generator, blood test equipment, and an X-ray machine. This innovative hospital can provide essential healthcare in remote and high-altitude areas.

Notes:
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh released a Rs 100 commemorative coin for Kalaignar M Karunanidhi’s birth centenary in Chennai on August 18, 2024. Karunanidhi, a key figure in the Dravidian movement and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister for nearly two decades, passed away on August 7, 2018. Known as Kalaignar (“the artist”), he led the DMK party, which remains influential under his son, Stalin. Commemorative coins celebrate events or notable individuals and often feature special designs. These coins are usually minted in limited quantities and held by the Reserve Bank of India as collectibles.

Notes:
A Kannada Medium school in Sullia, Karnataka, is using a paddy field on its campus as part of its educational approach. This project gives students hands-on experience in food cultivation. The school, with over 500 students and operating since 1973, has dedicated a 3,500 square-meter field for this initiative. The goal is to provide students with practical learning in agriculture.

Notes:
A fire caused by a reactor blast at Escientia Advanced Sciences in the Special Economic Zone at Atchutapuram in Anakapalli, Andhra Pradesh, led to at least 17 deaths and 20 injuries. The disaster was triggered by a fire in a leaked solvent at the pharmaceutical company. India is highly vulnerable to chemical disasters, with around 1,861 Major Accident Hazard (MAH) units and many other hazardous factories. MAH units pose significant risks of major incidents. Other chemical disasters in India include the 2024 ammonia gas leak in Chennai, the 2020 styrene gas leak in Vizag, and the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy involving methyl isocyanate.

Notes:
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the AgriSURE Fund and Krishi Nivesh Portal in New Delhi. He conferred the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Excellence Awards to top-performing banks and states. The awards recognized and appreciated outstanding efforts in agricultural infrastructure. Ministers of State and representatives from various states and banks attended the event. The Ministry believed the award ceremony would inspire other banks to improve their performance. The AIF was launched in 2022 to develop post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.