Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
The first Climate and Health Africa Conference (CHAC 2024) is taking place in Harare, Zimbabwe, from October 29-31. This conference brings African nations into the global discussion on climate change and its health impacts, where Africa faces high burdens of climate-sensitive diseases. More than 400 participants, including government officials, health and climate experts, and researchers, attended the conference. It focuses on sharing innovations, best practices, and solutions to build climate resilience in health.

Notes:
The Union Home Minister launched the Civil Registration System (CRS) mobile app to integrate technology with governance.
The app, developed by the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India (RGCCI), enables registration of births and deaths nationwide. It simplifies the process, allowing citizens to register these events anytime, from anywhere, in their state’s official language. The RGCCI, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, oversees the Census, compiles population data, and manages the CRS. Established in 1961, RGCCI provides data essential for social, economic, and policy decisions across government levels.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Animal Husbandry released the Standard Veterinary Treatment Guidelines (SVTG), the first comprehensive guidelines for animal and bird diseases. The guidelines aim to reduce antibiotic, hormone, and drug residues in animal-source foods, improving food safety and soil health. The guidelines include dosages, treatment durations, withdrawal periods, and potential side effects. They integrate Ayurvedic and ethnoveterinary practices for cost-effective treatments, particularly benefiting small-scale farmers. SVTG is expected to lower treatment costs and enhance health management in livestock and poultry, reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) risks.

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Durgesh Aranya Zoological Park in Kangra’s Dehra constituency will be India’s first IGBC-certified zoo for sustainable infrastructure. It is located in the Bankhandi area of Kangra. The park will have 34 enclosures featuring 73 species, including Asiatic lions, crocodiles, gharials, and indigenous birds. With a budget of ₹619 crore, it focuses on eco-friendly design. The zoo aims to boost tourism, create jobs, and promote eco-tourism, enhancing Kangra’s status as Himachal Pradesh’s “Tourism Capital.”

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Scientists have discovered a lost Mayan city in the dense Mexican jungle using LiDAR technology. LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a remote sensing method that uses pulsed lasers to measure distances to the Earth’s surface. It can create high-resolution 3-D models of ground elevation with vertical accuracy of up to 10 cm. The LiDAR system includes a laser, scanner, and GPS receiver. The laser fires rapidly, hitting surfaces like vegetation and buildings, with the reflected light recorded by the sensor.

Notes:
China opposes Taiwan’s establishment of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in Mumbai. This is Taiwan’s third office in India, following openings in New Delhi in 1995 and Chennai in 2012. India and Taiwan set up representative offices in 1993: the India-Taipei Association in Taipei and TECC in New Delhi. Other countries like the US, Australia, and Russia have similar centers for visa services and cultural exchanges. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and considers the PRC the sole legitimate government. India officially recognizes the PRC but does not recognize Taiwan.

Notes:
Three XI standard students tragically drowned while bathing in the Koel River in Lohardaga district, Jharkhand. The Koel River originates from the Palamau Tiger Reserve and flows through the western part of Palamu District. It consists of two parts: North Koel River and South Koel River. The North Koel River is tapped for irrigation and joins the Son River, while the South Koel flows through Odisha before merging with the Brahmani River. The river is prone to seasonal flooding, especially during the monsoon, and has hydropower potential, with the North Koel Dam built to generate electricity and supply irrigation.

Notes:
Researchers reported a 4% increase in the North Atlantic right whale population since 2020, following a 25% decline from 2010 to 2020. These migratory whales spend winters in warmer waters and migrate to the poles in late summer. They inhabit temperate and subpolar waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans. Right whales are often found near bays and peninsulas in shallow, coastal waters, mainly along the East Coast of the United States and Canada. They feed by skimming plankton at or just below the water’s surface. Conservation status: IUCN lists North Atlantic right whales as critically endangered.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched its first analogue space mission Hab-1 or Habitat-1 in Leh, a major milestone for India’s space exploration. Analogue space missions simulate the conditions of actual space exploration on Earth. They are essential for testing technologies and studying human behavior for long-duration space flights. The mission aims to replicate living conditions for astronauts traveling to the Moon, Mars, or asteroids. It focuses on understanding the physical and psychological effects of isolation and confinement. This joint effort includes ISRO’s Human Spaceflight Centre, AAKA Space Studio, the University of Ladakh, and IIT Bombay.

Notes:
Israel’s Iron Beam, also called Magen or Light Shield, will be operational within a year. It’s a laser-based missile defense system developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, first unveiled in 2014. The system uses a 100kW High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS) to destroy fast-moving projectiles with beams of light. Iron Beam’s effective range is up to 7 km (4.3 miles), making it the first of its kind to become operational.