Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2024

Notes:
ISRO announced a significant advancement in rocket engine technology, unveiling a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). This breakthrough promises to boost payload capacity by enhancing crucial parameters like thrust levels, specific impulse, and thrust-to-weight ratios. Leveraging advanced materials such as Carbon-Carbon composites, VSSC crafted a nozzle divergent with exceptional properties, paving the way for improved launch vehicle performance.

Notes:
ISRO Chairman S Somanath declared India’s ambition for a debris-free space by 2030 at the 42nd IADC annual meeting. He emphasized ISRO’s clear strategy for future space endeavors and its commitment to sustainable space exploration. Somanath, also the Secretary of the Department of Space, highlighted the importance of debris-free missions for space sustainability. This initiative aims to spark discussions and actions toward achieving a cleaner space environment.

Notes:
Squadron Leader Dalip Singh Majithia, the oldest living pilot of the Indian Air Force, passed away at 103 on his Uttarakhand farm. His cremation is scheduled for Tuesday at his farm in Rudrapur. Born July 27, 1920, in Shimla, he joined the IAF volunteer reserve in 1940 during World War II, inspired by his uncle Surjeet Singh Majithia. His daughter Kiran confirmed the news, mentioning the bhog ceremony to be held in New Delhi.

Notes:
India’s team excelled at the 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad in Georgia, April 11-17, 2024. The 4-member squad secured 2 Silver and 2 Bronze medals, marking the second instance of all members winning at EGMO since India’s 2015 debut. TIFR-HBCSE, India’s Olympiad hub, credits past medalists and EGMO Training Camp, backed by the National Board for Higher Mathematics, for this success.

Notes:
A Gray Slender Loris was rescued in North Goa by forest officials. The gray slender loris (Loris lydekkerianus) is native to southern India and central, north-central, and east-central Sri Lanka. It lives in subtropical and tropical dry forests, and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. It’s also commonly found in the tropical scrub and deciduous forests, and dense hedgerow plantations bordering farmlands. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies the gray slender loris as Least Concern. The gray slender Loris is a small primate that’s part of the oldest and most primitive group of primates, called prosimians.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully tested the Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile (ITCM) from Chandipur, Odisha. All subsystems performed well, monitored by range sensors and a Su-30-Mk-I aircraft. The missile showcased precise navigation, flying close to the sea surface. The test affirmed the reliability of the indigenous propulsion system by GTRE, Bengaluru. Developed by ADE, equipped with advanced avionics, the ITCM is a technology demonstrator with an upgraded seeker and small turbofan engine.

Notes:
According to a 2024 report from the New Lancet Commission, breast cancer is projected to cause one million deaths a year by 2040, an increase of more than 50% from 2020. The report states that, from 2020 to 2020, 7.8 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 685,000 of those women died from the disease that same year. The report also predicts that global breast cancer diagnoses will exceed three million annually by 2040.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) prequalified the Euvichol-S vaccine, a simplified and cost-effective version of the oral cholera vaccine (OCV) Euvichol-Plus. It contains fewer ingredients, is cheaper, and can be produced more rapidly. Cholera, caused by Vibrio cholerae bacteria, is transmitted through contaminated food or water. Most cases occur in the Middle East and Africa, with India reporting 132 cases in 2023 (until July).

Notes:
Shompen, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, cast their first Lok Sabha Election vote. Residing in the dense tropical rainforests of Great Nicobar Island, they belong to the Mongoloid group. With an estimated population of 229 according to the 2011 Census, they are hunters and gatherers, living a semi-nomadic life. Despite not being colonized in defined reserve forests, they sustain their lifestyle by hunting wild pig, python, monitor lizard, and crocodile.

Notes:
During his visit to Iran, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar discussed establishing a long-term cooperation framework for Chabahar port with Iranian Minister of Roads and Urban Development Mehrdad Bazrpash. Chabahar, Iran’s first deepwater port at the Gulf of Oman, is crucial for global trade. It’s part of the proposed International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), with two ports: Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari. India’s investment is focused on Shahid Beheshti port.