Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2024

Notes:
Scientists have raised concerns about potential issues in research papers on the honeybee waggle dance. Honeybees use two types of dances to communicate: the waggle dance and the circle dance. These dances help bees share information about the location of flower patches rich in nectar or pollen. In the waggle dance, bees move in a figure-eight pattern, indicating both distance and direction to the flower patch. In the circle dance, bees move in a circular pattern, indicating only the distance to the hive.

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The World Bank has issued the world’s first carbon removal bond to support Amazon reforestation. The bond is worth $225 million and has a nine-year term. Investors’ returns are tied to the amount of carbon removed by new trees, not just emission reductions from preventing deforestation. This bond aims to protect the Amazon by financially incentivizing reforestation efforts.

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A luxury yacht sank off Sicily, Italy, during a violent storm, causing one death and six people missing, possibly due to a waterspout. Waterspouts are rotating columns of air that form over water, resembling tornadoes but are usually weaker. They last 5-10 minutes, with an average diameter of 50 meters and wind speeds up to 100 km/h. Fair-weather waterspouts form when cool air moves over water, while tornadic waterspouts are linked to thunderstorms and can start as tornadoes on land before moving over water.

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KVIC and the Department of Posts are collaborating to enhance the implementation of PMEGP across India. PMEGP is a central scheme under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. It aims to create employment in rural and urban areas by supporting new self-employment ventures. The scheme helps traditional artisans and unemployed youth to find work locally, reducing rural-to-urban migration. It also aims to increase the wage-earning capacity of workers and boost employment growth in rural and urban areas.

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The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an order on August 21, 2024, forming a 14-member National Task Force for the safety of medical professionals. The task force was established by the Supreme Court on August 20, 2024, after a postgraduate doctor was allegedly raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College in Kolkata, leading to nationwide protests. Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba is appointed as the Chairperson. The task force includes 9 eminent doctors, the Home Secretary, Health Secretary, and leaders from the National Medical Commission and National Board of Examinations. The Health Ministry will cover all expenses for the task force.

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The Union Minister for Civil Aviation launched new guidelines for seaplane operations in India. The Minister also introduced UDAN version 5.4, with fresh bids invited for cancelled routes. The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)-UDAN was launched in 2016 to improve air connectivity to remote or unserved areas. Key provisions include extending Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under RCS for seaplane operations. The guidelines adopt the Non-Scheduled Operator Permit (NSOP) framework, which is currently used for helicopters, for seaplanes as well.

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The Zoological Survey of India and Odisha Forest Department are tagging horseshoe crabs to study their population, habitat, and migration. Horseshoe crabs are ancient marine arthropods, known as “living fossils,” related to scorpions and spiders. They live in shallow coastal waters and spawn on intertidal beaches during high tides. Global species include the Vulnerable American Horseshoe Crab, Endangered Tri-spine Horseshoe Crab, Coastal Horseshoe Crab, and Mangrove Horseshoe Crab. India has two species: Coastal Horseshoe Crab and Mangrove Horseshoe Crab, found mainly along the northeastern coast in Odisha and West Bengal.

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The Tribal Health Resource Centre in BR Hills, Karnataka, launched Kaanu, a South Indian Adivasi Knowledge Centre, on August 25. “Kaanu” means “evergreen forest” in Kannada and Soliga. Kaanu aims to be the first knowledge center dedicated to the past, present, and culture of South Indian Adivasi communities. It will have three branches: a library, an annotated bibliography, and a co-written book. The Kaanu Library will be inaugurated, and the bibliography will be available online in September. This initiative was started by Adivasi leaders, scholars, and researchers with long-term connections to these communities.

Notes:
The Tawa Reservoir in Madhya Pradesh has been designated as a new Ramsar Site. It is located at the confluence of the Tawa and Denwa rivers near Itarsi, it was originally built for irrigation and now also supports power generation and aquaculture. It is within the Satpura Tiger Reserve, bordering the Satpura National Park and Bori Wildlife Sanctuary.
Major tributaries include the River Malani, Sonbhadra, and Nagdwari. The Tawa River, the longest tributary of the Narmada River, starts in the Mahadeo Hills, flows through Betul, and joins the Narmada in Narmadapuram. The reservoir is home to Spotted deer and Painted Stork.

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Gujarat recently faced a health crisis due to a surge in Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) cases, mainly impacting children and causing multiple deaths. AES involves sudden high fever, convulsions, altered consciousness, and organ dysfunction. Symptoms can also include vomiting, diarrhea, and severe cases may lead to respiratory failure and nasal bleeding. It can be caused by various pathogens like viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, or toxins. Diagnosing AES is difficult as it shares symptoms with other infections like Chandipura Vesiculovirus and Japanese Encephalitis. The outbreak affected 26 of Gujarat’s 33 districts, with cases in major cities and neighboring states. As of August 19, 2024, there were 178 cases and 78 deaths, with 28 children testing positive for Chandipura Vesiculovirus.