Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Indian tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran, 35, announced his retirement on November 15, 2024. He won a singles bronze at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and peaked at world No. 75 in ATP rankings in 2019. Gunneswaran turned pro in 2010, achieving a singles record of 11–28 and a doubles record of 1-1. His highest doubles ranking was 248, reached in 2018. Competed in all four Grand Slams, with his best performance at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2020. His career highlight includes defeating world No. 18 Nikoloz Basilashvili at the Indian Wells Masters in 2019.

Notes:
National Epilepsy Day is celebrated in India on November 17 to raise awareness about epilepsy, its challenges, and the need for early diagnosis. Epilepsy, or seizure disorder, is a chronic brain condition where nerve cells misfire, causing recurrent seizures. Seizures happen when neurons fire rapidly at once, causing unusual movements, sensations, emotions, or behavior changes. This abnormal brain activity can lead to loss of awareness. Recovery time after a seizure varies from instant to hours. Epilepsy can result from genetics, brain abnormalities, infections, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or tumors, but for half of those affected, the cause remains unknown.

Notes:
Nigeria awarded PM Narendra Modi the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON) during his first official visit. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu praised PM Modi’s commitment to democratic values and success in India. Previously, Queen Elizabeth was the only foreign dignitary to receive this Nigerian honor in 1969. Dominica also announced its highest honor, the ‘Dominica Award of Honour,’ for PM Modi for his support during the Covid-19 pandemic. PM Modi will receive the award in Guyana during the India-CARICOM Summit. With these awards, PM Modi’s total civilian honors reach 17, reflecting India’s rising global influence.

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:
Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh visited Vientiane, Lao PDR, from November 20-22, 2024, for the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus). ADMM-Plus involves ASEAN nations and eight dialogue partners, including India, US, China, and Russia, to strengthen security cooperation. India became ASEAN’s dialogue partner in 1992, and ADMM-Plus began in 2010. Lao PDR chairs and hosts the 11th ADMM-Plus.

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:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Guyana’s highest national award, “The Order of Excellence,” on November 19, 2024, in Georgetown, conferred by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Modi became the fourth foreign dignitary to receive this prestigious award. He was also honored with Dominica’s highest national award, the “Dominica Award of Honour,” by President Sylvanie Burton on November 20, 2024. The Dominica award was presented during the 2nd India-CARICOM Summit in Georgetown. Modi is the second foreign leader after Queen Elizabeth (1969) to receive Dominica’s highest national award.

Notes:
Ecuador declared a national emergency for 60 days due to forest fires, water shortages, and severe drought. The country is experiencing its worst drought in 60 years. The drought has caused losses of 40,000 hectares of crops and over 44,000 farm animals. The emergency aims to address the crisis and provide relief to affected areas.

Notes:
SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India) is facing bribery allegations. It is a major public sector undertaking in India’s renewable energy sector, under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Established in 2011, SECI was originally a not-for-profit company and became a commercial entity in 2015. SECI is the only Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) dedicated to renewable energy. It plays a key role in implementing India’s National Solar Mission and renewable energy projects like solar, wind, and hybrid. SECI holds the status of Mini-Ratna Category-I CPSU.

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.