Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Karnataka launched ELEVATE 2024 and Karnataka Acceleration Network (KAN) to support start-ups. ELEVATE 2024 is a grant scheme offering up to ₹50 lakh per start-up to help early-stage companies with seed funding. ELEVATE also provides support through incubation, expert mentorship, incentives, and venture capital access. Karnataka Acceleration Network (KAN) offers mentorship, market access, and funding opportunities for growth-stage start-ups across Karnataka. Both initiatives aim to address funding challenges and foster growth for start-ups in the state.

Notes:
Four sandstone replicas of the Konark wheel were installed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre and Amrit Udyan.
This installation promotes India’s rich cultural heritage to visitors. The Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, represents Odisha’s temple architecture and is designed as a giant chariot for the Sun god. The Konark wheel symbolizes India’s cultural legacy and architectural excellence.

Notes:
NTPC has created a catalyst to produce methanol from gases emitted by fossil-fired power plants. This development was achieved in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Petroleum. CO2 mitigation is a major challenge for fossil-fired power plants. The focus is on capturing CO2 from flue gas and converting it into valuable fuels and chemicals. The catalyst produces methanol with a purity of over 99%.

Notes:
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:
Researchers from India’s Physical Research Laboratory have discovered TOI-6651b, a dense, Saturn-sized exoplanet. This is the fourth exoplanet identified by PRL scientists, highlighting India’s role in space exploration. TOI-6651b weighs about 60 times that of Earth and has a radius five times larger. It resides in the “Neptunian desert,” a rare zone with few planets of this size, prompting questions about planetary formation. The planet orbits its star, TOI-6651, in 5.06 days, with an eccentric orbit that differs from typical gas giants. TOI-6651b’s density suggests it’s composed of 87% rocky and iron-rich materials, indicating unique evolutionary processes. This discovery challenges existing theories on planet formation, providing valuable insights into planetary system dynamics.

Notes:
A contingent of 25 Indian Army personnel has participated in Exercise GARUD SHAKTI 24 from November 1 to 12, 2024. This is the 9th edition of the India-Indonesia Joint Special Forces exercise, featuring troops from the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces). The exercise aims to familiarize both sides with each other’s procedures and enhance cooperation and interoperability. This exercise includes tactical military drills, planning special operations, and sharing advanced skills and techniques.

Notes:
The 15th edition of Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR took place at the Orchard Combat Training Centre in Idaho, USA. This follows the last exercise held in December 2023 in Meghalaya and is the second joint exercise this year, after Exercise YUDH ABHYAS in Rajasthan. The exercise aims to enhance military cooperation, interoperability, and special operations tactics between the two countries. Activities includes joint planning, reconnaissance missions, using unmanned aerial systems, and psychological warfare drills.

Notes:
Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR) faculty and staff have appealed to the Education Minister regarding delays in implementing 7th Central Pay Commission pay scales. ICSSR was founded by the Government of India in 1969, based on Prof. V. K. R. V. Rao’s recommendations. It is an autonomous body under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, promoting social science research. ICSSR funds projects, fellowships, international collaborations, and publications in social sciences. It supports 24 research institutes, six regional centers, and five recognized institutes across India.

Notes:
Japan will test the world’s first wooden satellite, LignoSat, developed by Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry. It will be launched on a SpaceX rocket and sent to the International Space Station. LignoSat, made from Japanese honoki wood, will orbit for six months to test wood’s durability in space. Wood, unlike metal, doesn’t rot or catch fire in space, and it burns up cleanly upon reentry without polluting. Former astronaut Takao Doi envisions this as a step toward using wood for sustainable construction on the Moon and Mars, like planting trees and building timber houses.

Notes:
Harmeet Desai of India won both men’s singles and mixed doubles titles at the 2024 World Table Tennis (WTT) Feeder Caracas tournament in Venezuela. The event took place from 31 October to 3 November 2024. Ranked 90th globally, Harmeet defeated France’s Joe Seyfried (world no. 149) 11-7, 11-8, 11-6 in the men’s singles final. In mixed doubles, Harmeet and Krittwika Roy defeated Cuba’s Jorge Campos and Daniela Fonseca Carrazana 3-2 in a tight match.