Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
The 4th National Finswimming Championship 2024 took place in New Delhi with 1500 participants from 26 states and UTs. West Bengal won the team championship with 151 medals (67 gold, 43 silver, 41 bronze). Karnataka was the runner-up with 50 medals (17 gold, 18 silver, 15 bronze). Uttarakhand and Haryana both secured 21 medals, but Uttarakhand placed third due to more gold medals (8 gold, 6 silver, 7 bronze). The event, organized by Underwater Sports Federation of India (USFI) and the Physical Education Foundation of India, highlighted India’s growing finswimming talent.

Notes:
India is ranked 23rd on the Sustainable Trade Index 2024. The index was created in 2022 by the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Center and the Hinrich Foundation. It assesses 30 economies on readiness for global trade, focusing on economic, environmental, and societal pillars. Sustainable trade ensures mutual benefits for partners while balancing economic growth, social development, and environmental protection. New Zealand, the UK, and Australia are the top-performing nations on the index.

Notes:
The Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary in Chhattisgarh recently welcomed a young male tiger, marking the first tiger sighting in nearly 40 years. Barnawapara Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Raipur district, Chhattisgarh. The rivers Balmedhi, Jonk, and Mahanadi flow through the sanctuary, with Balamdehi River forming its western boundary and Jonk River its northeastern boundary. The area, spanning 244.66 sq. km, has a sufficient prey base and water availability, but challenges remain in protecting the sanctuary from poachers and ensuring a stable food cycle for the tigers.

Notes:
The African penguin is the first penguin species listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. They are the only penguin species found in Africa and are among the smallest penguin species. Males are slightly larger than females and have a pink gland above their eyes to cope with heat. They communicate through vocalizations and body language, such as gaping, pointing bills, pecking, and bill-jabbing. Their diet primarily includes pelagic schooling fish like sardines and anchovies.

Notes:
The 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened with a star-studded ceremony in Panaji, Goa. International Film Festival of India (IFFI), founded in 1952, is among Asia’s most significant film festivals and is held annually in Goa. It provides a platform for global filmmakers to showcase excellence, promote cultural understanding, and foster international cooperation. The first edition was held in Mumbai and later moved to various cities like Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and Thiruvananthapuram. IFFI is South Asia’s only film festival accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF) as a Competitive Feature Film Festival.

Notes:
Authorities have denied claims made in a media report about wild animals disappearing from Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary due to encroachments, calling them inaccurate and sensationalized. The sanctuary is located in Palghar district, Maharashtra, 75 km from Mumbai. It spans 85 sq. km., mostly hilly terrain, and serves as a corridor between Sanjay Gandhi National Park and Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary. The area features dense forests, small rivers, and a mix of Dry Deciduous, Moist Deciduous, and Semi-Evergreen forests, with species like teak, bamboo, and mango trees.

Notes:
The Ustad Bismilliah Khan Yuva Puraskar for 2022 and 2023 recently conferred to 82 young artists in a ceremony in New Delhi. It was instituted by Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2006, it honors artists under 40 in music, dance, drama, folk arts, and puppetry. The award includes Rs 25,000, a plaque, and an angavastram. The award aims to encourage young artists in India. Ustad Bismillah Khan was a renowned Shehnai musician who performed at India’s first Republic Day in 1950 and was the first Indian at the Lincoln Centre in the USA.

Notes:
Tripura Forest Department detained an autorickshaw driver near Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary for alleged deer poaching involvement. Trishna Wildlife Sanctuary, in South Tripura, spans 197.7 sq. km and was established in 1988. The sanctuary features Tropical Semi Evergreen, Moist Mixed Deciduous Forest, and Savanna woodland. It has perennial water rivulets, water bodies, and grasslands.

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The Chinar Boat Race 2024 was held on Dal Lake on 23 November 2024. The Army organised it with White Globe NGO and support from the lake-management authority.

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Researchers spotted a large adult antlion, Palpares contrarius, resembling a dragonfly, for the first time in Tamil Nadu on the Madras Christian College campus. Antlions belong to the order Neuroptera and family Myrmeliontidae, with predatory larvae that trap ants in sandy pits. Found worldwide, mainly in dry, sandy areas, they are hard to spot during the day but visible at night near lights. Adults resemble damselflies but have softer bodies, lacy wings, and long clubbed antennae. Antlions are harmless, weak fliers, and beneficial by feeding on insects like ants.