Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, covering 2,829 sq km, was recently notified as India’s 56th tiger reserve. It is located in Chhattisgarh. It includes a core area of 2,049.2 sq km and is contiguous with other reserves, enhancing conservation efforts. This reserve is the third-largest in India and is home to diverse fauna, including numerous threatened species. The initiative underscores India’s commitment to wildlife conservation and sustainable cohabitation of humans and wildlife.

Notes:
Dhudmaras village in Bastar, Chhattisgarh, gained global recognition by being selected among United Nations World Tourism Organization’s (UNWTO’s) best tourism villages. It is one of 20 villages chosen from 60 nations for its sustainable tourism practices. Located in Kanger Valley National Park, it offers eco-tourism with dense forests and the Kanger River. UNWTO will assist in upgrading tourism facilities, preserving culture, and improving villagers’ lives. Dhudmaras and Chitrakot received India’s Best Tourism Village Award on September 27.

Notes:
The Bharat National Cyber Security Exercise (Bharat NCX 2024) was inaugurated by the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS). The 12-day exercise aims to strengthen India’s cybersecurity resilience. It focuses on leadership engagement and capacity building for tackling cyber challenges. Key activities include immersive training on cyber defense, live-fire simulations of attacks on IT and OT systems, and collaboration among government and industry stakeholders. A Strategic Decision-Making Exercise will simulate national-level cyber crises to improve strategic decision-making under high-pressure scenarios.

Notes:
World Toilet Day is observed annually on 19 November. The day aims to raise awareness about the global sanitation crisis, affecting 3.5 billion people without safe sanitation. Founded by the World Toilet Organization in 2001, it became a UN observance in 2013. It aligns with SDG 6: Water and sanitation for all by 2030. The 2024 theme, “Toilets – A Place for Peace,” focuses on the importance of sanitation and sustainable solutions. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is hosting a two-day workshop on advancing safely managed sanitation in urban areas, with experts in sanitation and water management.

Notes:
The Sabarmati Riverfront project spans 38 km from Ahmedabad to Gandhinagar, with monetization of the first phase (11 km) underway. The Sabarmati River is monsoon-fed, originating in Rajasthan’s Aravalli Hills and flowing into the Arabian Sea’s Bay of Khambhat. The river traverses 371 km, with 48 km in Rajasthan and 323 km in Gujarat, bisecting Ahmedabad into western and eastern halves. Its basin covers 21,674 sq. km, bounded by the Aravalli Hills, Rann of Kutch, and Gulf of Khambhat. Agriculture covers 74.68% of the basin, with key tributaries being Wakal, Hathmati, Vatrak, and Sei.

Notes:
The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025 was released by Germanwatch, New Climate Institute, and Climate Action Network International. The first three spots were left empty, with Denmark ranking fourth. India secured the 10th position. CCPI evaluates progress on global greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, energy use, and climate policies. It covers 63 countries and the European Union, focusing on the world’s largest emitters.

Notes:
A new frog species named Raorchestes asakgrensis was discovered in Meghalaya. It is named after the Eman Asakgre Community Reserve in Garo Hills to honor local conservation efforts. The frog is arboreal, found at 174 meters elevation, with a pointed snout and visible tympanum. Males measure 20.49 mm in snout-vent length, and females are slightly larger at 22.8 mm. Males call from shrubs at dusk, perched 1.5 meters or higher, with peak calling activity after the first monsoon rains.

Notes:
A new NGO, the Association of Indian American Minorities (AIAM), was launched in Maryland, USA, to unite and support minority communities in the Indian American diaspora. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was honored with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Global Peace Award for Minority Upliftment during the event. Jasdip Singh, a Sikh philanthropist, was appointed as AIAM’s Chairman. AIAM aims to advance PM Modi’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047, focusing on inclusivity and welfare for all.

Notes:
The WTO released a report titled “Trading with Intelligence,” exploring AI’s impact on global trade. AI regulation fragmentation may affect trade opportunities for MSMEs. The concentration of AI development in large economies creates a trade divide. Data governance challenges, like cross-border data flow restrictions, may raise trade costs. AI offers opportunities to reduce trade costs by automating customs and border processes. Universal AI adoption could boost global trade growth by 14% by 2040. AI could transform service trade, especially digitally delivered and manual service sectors.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Science (IISc) introduced STRONG (STring Representation Of Nanopore Geometry), a new language for encoding nanopore shapes as character sequences. STRONG helps machine learning models predict nanopore properties accurately. It assigns letters to atomic configurations, improving understanding of nanopore geometries. This tool supports applications like gas separation and enhances data analysis. STRONG’s integration with neural networks boosts prediction accuracy. This breakthrough marks a significant advancement in materials science and computational research.