Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) released the Review of Maritime Transport 2024 report, highlighting trends in global maritime trade. Global maritime trade grew by 2.4% in 2023, rebounding from a contraction in 2022, but the recovery is still fragile. Key chokepoints like the Suez and Panama Canals experienced significant disruptions. Chokepoints are narrow geographical features that are strategically important for trade. They enhance connectivity, such as the Suez Canal connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. Chokepoints also play a vital role in energy security, like the Strait of Hormuz for global petroleum transport.

Notes:
National Unity Day is observed every year on October 31 to honor Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s birth anniversary. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel was a key leader in India’s independence struggle and served as the first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. This day commemorates his efforts to unite diverse princely states into one nation and promotes national solidarity.

Notes:
PM Modi launched India’s first helicopter ambulance service at Rishikesh AIIMS to improve emergency healthcare access.
The service aims to transport critical patients quickly within the ‘golden hour’ for better trauma care. It is part of a larger healthcare upgrade project worth over Rs 12,850 crore. A toll-free number will link all district disaster management centers to facilitate this service. Drones will aid in delivering blood samples and medicines to remote regions. The initiative extends to Uttarakhand and some border areas of Uttar Pradesh, transforming healthcare access in tough terrains.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the expanded Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme. The scheme will cover all individuals aged 70 and above, regardless of their socio-economic status. Each eligible senior citizen will receive a benefit cover of ₹5 lakh per year in empanelled hospitals across India. This expansion is part of a ₹12,850 crore health initiative aimed at benefiting 60 million senior citizens. Senior citizens from families already under AB-PMJAY can access an additional ₹5 lakh cover. Those not covered by the scheme will also receive up to ₹5 lakh annually on a family basis. The expansion will be supported by an outlay of ₹3,437 crore.

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:
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Digital India Common Service Centre (DICSC) project to reduce the digital divide in rural India. The project begins in Pilibhit and Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, providing access to e-governance, financial, and commercial services. A total of 4,740 model DICSC centers will be set up in gram panchayats across 10 districts nationwide. Pilibhit will have 720 centers, Gorakhpur 1,273, and other districts include Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (870), Chamba (309), Khammam (589), Gandhinagar (288), Mamit (100), Jodhpur (415), Leh (95), and Puducherry (81).

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.

Notes:
Ten wild elephants died in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, possibly due to “mycotoxins associated with kodo millet.” Kodo millet, also called Kodra or Varagu, is a drought-tolerant, hardy crop rich in vitamins and minerals. It is a staple food for many tribal and economically weaker communities in India. Best suited for tropical and subtropical regions, it grows on poor soils in arid and semi-arid areas. Originating in India, Madhya Pradesh is a major producer, along with Gujarat, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, and Tamil Nadu. Kodo millet is also cultivated in Pakistan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and West Africa.

Notes:
The report, titled ‘Hunger Hotspots’ for the period between November 2024 and May 2025, was published recently. The new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicates that acute food insecurity is expected to worsen in 22 countries over the next six months. Sudan, Palestine, South Sudan, Haiti, and Mali are on the highest alert. Kenya, Lesotho, Namibia, and Niger are newly added hunger hotspots. Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, Somalia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe remain on the list. Climate issues like La Niña may increase floods in Southern Africa and cause drought in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia.

Notes:
The Karnataka Board of Waqfs claims 17 monuments inside the historic Bidar Fort as its property. The Archaeological Survey of India, the official custodian of the fort, is reportedly unaware of this claim. Bidar Fort is located in Bidar city on Karnataka’s northern plateau. The fort’s history spans over 500 years, beginning with the Western Chalukya dynasty. Sultan Ahmed Shah Wali of the Bahmani dynasty chose Bidar as his capital in 1430 and transformed the fort into a grand citadel. The fort is constructed from trap rock, with stone and mortar fort walls. Its entrance gate features a high dome, originally painted with vibrant colors inside.