Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2024

Notes:
The Decision Support System (DSS) for Delhi’s air pollution, developed by IITM Pune, will resume in September with new features. It forecasts Delhi’s air quality and pollution sources, including emissions from Delhi and neighboring districts. It also assesses the impact of emission interventions and biomass burning. Now, it will extend to eight surrounding NCR districts. DSS, operational in winter, halted temporarily due to forecast discrepancies. It collaborates with SAFAR for comprehensive air quality data.

Notes:
The Armed Forces plan to transform Mumbai into India’s inaugural tri-service common defense station for the Army, Navy, and Indian Air Force (IAF). This aims at fostering jointness among the services preceding the establishment of integrated theatre commands. Theatreization involves integrating army, air force, and navy capabilities to optimize resources for warfare. Such commands combine assets from all three services under unified leadership, mirroring practices in major nations like China, Russia, the US, the UK, and France.

Notes:
Hockey India Awards 2023 were held on March 31, 2024, in New Delhi. Salima Tete and Hardik Singh were named Women’s and Men’s Players of the Year, respectively. Started in 2014, the awards honor India’s top hockey talents. Hardik Singh, Vice-Captain from Punjab, won FIH Player of the Year and Best Midfielder awards. Salima Tete, from Jharkhand, received recognition for her achievements at the Asian Games and as the AHF Emerging Player of the Year.

Notes:
Hume, a New York-based research lab, unveiled the first emotionally intelligent conversational AI named Empathic Voice Interface (EVI). It utilizes live audio input, returning both audio and transcripts with vocal expression measures. Powered by an empathic large language model (eLLM), it understands tones and word emphasis, optimizing human-AI conversations. Trained on human reactions, EVI learns from users to enhance positive expressions. By analyzing speech nuances, it can determine when to speak and generate empathic language.

Notes:
The forest department is eradicating Senna spectabilis, a highly invasive tree, from Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR). Originally introduced as ornamental trees by private estates, the Madras High Court ordered their removal due to ecological impact on local reserves. Belonging to the legume family, native to South and Central America, it’s also known as golden wonder tree for its bright yellow flowers. Despite medicinal uses, including treating ringworm and food-borne pathogens, its removal is necessary for preserving local ecology.

Notes:
Chamayavilakku, or the Kottankulangara Festival, celebrates goddess Bhagavathy in Kerala. Men don women’s attire, carrying lamps in processions. They hold Chamayavilakku, symbolizing devotion, circling the temple. Boys under 10 dress as girls for Kakkavilakku daytime rituals.

Notes:
India’s Government e-Market (GeM) portal ranks as the world’s third-largest e-commerce platform for public procurement. GeM’s CEO PK Singh reported a gross merchandise value (GMV) exceeding Rs 4 lakh crore, doubling from the previous fiscal year. Launched in 2016, GeM facilitates transactions between government institutions and vendors, driving digital inclusion. The platform recorded Rs 2.01 lakh crore in orders for the last fiscal year, showcasing its significant growth trajectory.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh leads India with the most Geographical Indication (GI) certified products, now totaling 69 after the addition of 15 new items, surpassing Tamil Nadu’s 58. Sanjhi art, originating in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh in the 16th century, is renowned for intricate designs and spiritual significance. Associated with the mother goddess Sanjhi, the craft involves mud images crafted into cosmic forms. It originated around Krishna temples and is now practiced nationwide.

Notes:
Recently, a destructive tornado hit Mainaguri, Jalpaiguri district, West Bengal, leaving five dead and over a hundred injured within its 10-minute rampage. Tornadoes, though rare, afflict India’s eastern regions like West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand, especially pre-monsoon. A 2016 study by India Meteorological Department noted increased tornado activity in Bengal, with fatalities. Rising occurrences in India are attributed to factors like warming Bay of Bengal and unusual wind patterns.

Notes:
Political outfits and leaders honored the 104th anniversary of the Perungamanallur massacre in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. On April 3, 1920, 16 Piramalai Kallar community members were killed, protesting the oppressive Criminal Tribes Act of 1911. The massacre symbolizes resistance against colonialism. Britishers used the Act for fingerprinting and population control. Eventually repealed after Independence, the Act underwent amendments over the years, marking progress in mitigating its draconian measures.