Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 14, 2024

Notes:
Archaeologists at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey discovered a pillar that may be the world’s oldest calendar, dating back nearly 13,000 years. The pillar is located at the ancient site of Göbekli Tepe in the Şanlıurfa province, which is one of the oldest known farming communities in the world. The markings on the pillar appear to show solar and lunar cycles, and may have been used to record dates by ancient humans using precession, the wobble in Earth’s axis that affects the movement of constellations. The markings also depict the summer solstice as a special day, represented by a “V” around the neck of a bird-like beast.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to give cash to adolescent girls for sanitary napkins. The cash is part of the state’s Sanitation and Hygiene scheme. Eligible school girls (class 7-12) receive ₹300 annually. Over ₹57 crore has been distributed to more than 19 lakh girls. The state also launched the Udita program in 2016 to address social taboos and raise awareness about menstruation. Under Udita, women and girls up to 45 years old can receive a free pack of six sanitary pads every month.

Notes:
World Organ Donation Day 2024 is celebrated on August 13 to raise awareness about organ donation. The theme for 2024 is “Be the Reason for Someone’s Smile Today.” Thousands of people worldwide await life-saving organ transplants each year. The day aims to promote the importance of organ donation and dispel related myths. It also honors organ donors who have saved lives and given others a chance at a healthy life.

Notes:
The India Rankings 2024 were released by the Union Education Minister, based on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). IIT Madras ranked 1st in the Overall Category for the sixth year and in Engineering for the ninth year.
IISc Bengaluru topped the Universities Category for the ninth year and Research Institutions for the fourth year. IIM Ahmedabad ranked 1st in Management for the fifth year. AIIMS Delhi topped the Medical Category for the seventh year. Jamia Hamdard, Delhi, ranked 1st in Pharmacy. NLSIU Bengaluru retained 1st position in Law. NIRF was launched in 2015 and uses five broad parameters for ranking. The 2024 edition introduced three new categories: State Public Universities, Open Universities, and Skill Universities, and integrated “Innovation” rankings.

Notes:
The 19th crest gate of the 71-year-old Tungabhadra Dam collapsed, causing a flood alert in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Tungabhadra Dam, also known as Pampa Sagar, is a multipurpose dam on the Tungabhadra River, a tributary of the Krishna River. It is located in the Ballari district of Karnataka, near the town of Hospet. It was initially a joint project of the Hyderabad state and Madras Presidency, later becoming a joint project of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh after its completion in 1953. The dam has a storage capacity of 101 TMC, with a catchment area of 28,000 sq. km, standing 49.5 meters high with 33 crest gates. It is one of two reservoirs in India built using mud and limestone, along with the Mullaperiyar Dam in Kerala.