Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2024

Notes:
A massive landslide in Papua New Guinea buried over 2,000 people in a remote Enga province village, causing major destruction to homes, buildings, and food gardens. Papua New Guinea informed the UN that over 2,000 people were buried in a massive landslide caused by Mount Mungalo’s collapse, devastating a remote Enga province village. The disaster caused significant destruction to buildings and food gardens. The national disaster center stressed the urgent need for collaborative efforts from the army, national, and regional responders to address the crisis.

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Prehistoric artifacts made from fossil wood were found in Ghughwa National Fossil Park, Dindori district, Madhya Pradesh. Established as a National Park in 1983, it features tropical dry deciduous landscape. Fossils here date between 40 to 150 million years, including preserved eucalyptus, date palm, neem, climbers, leaves, flowers, fruits, and a dinosaur egg fossil. Early humans used fossilized tree trunks for tools.

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CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research launched an Electric Tiller for small farmers, prioritizing user comfort and eco-sustainability. Features include enhanced torque, electronic controls, and versatile charging options like AC and Solar DC. It produces zero exhaust emissions, supporting India’s commitment to eco-friendly farming. Compatible with various attachments, it minimizes operator fatigue, boosts productivity, and has the potential to reduce operational costs by up to 85%. Tilling improves soil quality and promotes healthy crop growth.

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Delhi- based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) praised SEBI’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) initiative. Introduced in May 2021, BRSR mandates the top 1000 listed companies to disclose their performance on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) aspects. This aims to showcase their commitment to responsible business practices and provides policymakers and investors with crucial data for informed decision-making.

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A study reveals Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier, known as the “Doomsday Glacier,” is highly vulnerable to warming oceans. Roughly the size of Britain, it holds enough water to raise sea levels by over half a meter. Melting at a rate contributing 4% to global sea level rise annually, its significance lies in slowing ice flow into the ocean. Thwaites underscores Antarctica’s critical role in climate dynamics and the urgent need for environmental action.

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The International Day of the UN Peacekeepers is observed on May 29 to honor the service and sacrifice of over 4,000 fallen peacekeepers and to promote global peace efforts. Established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 2002, it marks the anniversary of the first UN peacekeeping mission in 1948. The first observance was in 2003. The 2024 theme is “Fit for the Future, Building Better Together.”

Notes:
Recent research confirms the SASS6 gene’s significance in microcephaly and neuron development. Microcephaly results in a significantly smaller head size in babies, often associated with poor motor skills, speech difficulties, and abnormal facial features. It stems from abnormal cell division during embryonic brain development and can be diagnosed prenatally. Consanguineous marriages increase the risk due to heightened chances of inheriting two mutated copies of the SASS6 gene, vital for cell division and centriole formation.

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The SIDS4 conference, held from May 27-30, 2024, gathered over 3,000 delegates to develop the “Antigua and Barbuda Agenda for SIDS” (ABAS), aiming for resilient prosperity in Small Island Developing States. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) announced funding through its Infrastructure for Resilient Island States Programme (IRIS) at the United Nations 4th International Conference on SIDS in Antigua and Barbuda.

Notes:
India’s Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) warned of a high-severity vulnerability in Google Chrome for desktops. CERT-In, the national agency for computer security incidents under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, aims to secure Indian cyberspace. Operational since January 2004, CERT-In is responsible for responding to and mitigating cybersecurity threats in India.

Notes:
The Seventy-seventh World Health Assembly convenes in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 27 to June 1, 2024, under the theme “All for Health, Health for All.” Live webcasts of the proceedings will be accessible, featuring simultaneous interpretation in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.