Daily Current Affairs Quiz: December 8-9, 2024

Notes:
India has been chosen to chair the 68th Session of the UN’s Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND). Ambassador Shambhu S Kumaran, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Vienna, has officially assumed the role. CND is the main policy-making body for global drug-related issues under the UN. It monitors global drug trends, supports balanced policy-making, and oversees major drug conventions. CND operates under the UN Economic and Social Council and governs the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This is India’s first time chairing the CND, showcasing its growing leadership and commitment to global issues.

Notes:
The Supreme Court will hear a petition in January on reducing the permissible water level of the Mullaperiyar Dam. Mullaperiyar Dam is a masonry gravity dam on the Periyar River in Thekkady, Idukki district, Kerala. Built between 1887 and 1895 by the British Corps of Royal Engineers led by Pennycuick, it is 155 ft high and 1200 ft long. Made with limestone and “Surkhi,” it stands 881 m above sea level in the Western Ghats’ Cardamom Hills. The dam diverts water from Periyar River to Tamil Nadu’s Vaigai River basin, irrigating 685,000 hectares in five districts. It also created an artificial lake central to Periyar National Park. While located in Kerala, Tamil Nadu operates the dam under a 999-year British-era lease agreement.

Notes:
The Indian Navy will commission INS Tushil, a stealth guided missile frigate, in Kaliningrad, Russia. INS Tushil is part of the upgraded Krivak III-class frigates under Russian-designed Project 1135.6. It is the seventh vessel in this series and the first of two upgraded frigates from a 2016 India-Russia contract. “Tushil” means “protector shield,” symbolizing the Navy’s commitment to maritime security. The ship is 125 meters long, displaces 3,900 tons, and features advanced stealth for radar evasion. It includes 26% indigenous technology with 33 systems by Indian manufacturers. Assigned to the Western Fleet, it strengthens India’s naval capabilities.

Notes:
1,500 members of the Angami Naga tribe recently participated in a cultural ceremony at Nagaland’s Hornbill Festival. The Angami Naga tribe, residing mainly in Kohima, Nagaland, migrated from Myanmar and is recognized in Manipur. They belong to the Mongoloid race and speak Tenyidie, with Nagamese as a common spoken language. Known for terrace wet cultivation, shifting cultivation, and animal husbandry, they also excel in cane and bamboo basketry. Their society is patriarchal and patrilineal, with most members practicing Christianity. The tribe celebrates the Sekrenyi festival.

Notes:
The Little Gull, a bird native to Eurasia, was spotted for the first time in NCR. It is the world’s smallest gull species, measuring 25–30 cm in length with a wingspan of 61–78 cm and weighing 68–162 g. The bird belongs to the Laridae family and is migratory, breeding in northern Europe and wintering in coastal regions of western Europe, the Mediterranean, and the northeast US. It inhabits seacoasts, estuaries, lakes, rivers, and marshes. It is classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List.