Daily Current Affairs Quiz: June 22, 2024

Notes:
Researchers discovered a new diatom genus, Indiconema, in the clean water rivers of India’s Eastern Ghats. Diatoms are photosynthetic, single-celled organisms essential to the aquatic food chain and sensitive indicators of water health. Indiconema, differing from others by having pore fields at both poles, was also found in the Western Ghats. It is morphologically related to the East African genus Afrocymbella.

Notes:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) signed an MoU with Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology (IIIT Delhi) to enhance road safety using AI-based solutions to improve road sign availability on national highways. The project will cover approximately 25,000 km. IIIT Delhi will conduct surveys to collect imagery and data on road sign conditions along selected highway stretches.

Notes:
A project by IIIT-Delhi won joint second prize in the Trinity Challenge’s second competition for addressing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The Trinity Challenge (TTC) is a charity fostering data-driven solutions to global health threats, partnering with over 40 organizations. Launched in response to COVID-19, TTC funds public challenges to enhance pandemic preparedness, awarding £5.7 million for innovative health solutions.

Notes:
Assam’s wildlife officials reported the first recording of the striped caecilian (Ichthyophis spp) in Kaziranga National Park during a recent herpetofauna survey. Caecilians are elongated, limbless amphibians in the order Gymnophiona, resembling earthworms or snakes. Named “Caecilian” meaning “blind,” they inhabit moist tropical and subtropical regions, mainly burrowing underground. There are about 200 known species, mostly found in forests, grasslands, and wetlands.

Notes:
Mudgal Fort in Karnataka showcases India’s rich historical and cultural heritage, reflecting its architectural, cultural, and historical significance. The fort has a 1,000-year history, linked to the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Bahmani Sultans, and Vijayanagara Empire. It became a strategic battleground between the Vijayanagara Empire and Adil Shahi Sultanate, witnessing 11 battles due to its pivotal location in the fertile, mineral-rich Raichur Doab between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers.