Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2024

Notes:
Willingdon Island, a man-made island in Kochi, Kerala, is undergoing discussions for rejuvenation to revive its commercial operations. It is a man-made island named after Lord Willingdon, a British Viceroy, and is among the largest of its type in India. The island houses the Kochi Naval Base, Central Institute of Fisheries Technology, and the Port of Kochi, and is linked to the mainland by the Venduruthy Bridge. Lord Willingdon (1931-1936) was known for major events like the Government of India Act, 1935, the Poona Pact, and the Round Table Conferences involving Gandhi and Ambedkar.

Notes:
The Odisha Government, in partnership with International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), launched a “Compendium of Regenerative Agriculture” to promote sustainable farming. This compendium was released at the International Symposium on Shree Anna and Forgotten Foods. It outlines five key principles: minimizing soil disturbance, maximizing crop diversity, maintaining soil cover, keeping living roots year-round, and integrating livestock. ICRISAT is an international organization focused on improving dryland farming and food systems in Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and other semi-arid regions.

Notes:
Pathogen spillover from managed honey bees to wild pollinators poses a significant threat. Thai Sacbrood Virus (TSBV) affects honeybee larvae, killing them and hindering colony growth, particularly endangering Asiatic honeybees (Apis cerana indica). The virus spreads through the movement of bee colonies for pollination and honey production. TSBV caused a major outbreak in South India in 1991-1992, wiping out about 90% of Asiatic honey bee colonies. The virus resurfaced in Telangana in 2021 and has also been reported in countries like China and Vietnam.

Notes:
Māori Party MPs performed a haka in New Zealand’s parliament to protest the Treaty Principles Bill, opposing changes to the Treaty of Waitangi. The Māori are an Indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. They migrated from East Polynesia to New Zealand between 1320-1350. They developed a unique culture, language, mythology, and arts. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840 with the British, established coexistence but remains central to political and economic grievances. Māori are the second-largest ethnic group in New Zealand. The haka, a traditional Māori dance, expresses pride, strength, and unity, and is used in various ceremonies and as a challenge.

Notes:
The Forest Department started evening coaching classes for school children in 10 tribal hamlets in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). These classes have greatly improved the learning skills of tribal children. STR is located in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Tamil Nadu, at the junction of the Eastern and Western Ghats. It is contiguous with Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and Bandipur and BR Tiger Reserves in Karnataka. The Nilgiris biosphere landscape hosts the world’s largest tiger population, with over 280 tigers.

Notes:
Three Australian satellites from Curtin University’s Binar Space Program recently burned up in Earth’s atmosphere due to increased solar activity. The program, based in Australia, focuses on Solar System research and reducing barriers to space operations. Binar-1, the first satellite launched in September 2021, lasted 364 days in orbit during low solar activity. The follow-up mission included three CubeSats (Binar-2, 3, and 4) designed with deployable solar arrays but expected to last about six months. Intense solar activity caused the satellites to deorbit much earlier than anticipated.

Notes:
IIT Bombay scientists developed AroTrack, a portable and economical device for detecting water pollutants like phenol and benzene. AroTrack addresses increasing water pollution from industrialization, urbanization, and unregulated effluent discharge. It uses bacterial proteins from polluted environments to identify aromatic pollutants through ATP hydrolysis. A chemical reaction in the protein solution causes a color change, which the device detects. The compact device is slightly smaller than a small projector and highly robust. AroTrack is considered a potential game-changer for sustainable water pollution monitoring and management.

Notes:
Recent research has identified Candidatus Phytoplasma as the causative agent of a peculiar disease in sesame fields in Midnapore, West Bengal. Sesame, known as the “Queen of Oil,” is an ancient oilseed crop with medicinal properties. The disease causes disfigurement and virescence in the plants, impacting their yield. Researchers, led by Prof. Gaurab Gangopadhyay, have been studying this issue and aim to improve sesame varieties through molecular marker-assisted breeding to combat this threat and enhance the crop’s benefits.

Notes:
Researchers at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) developed a new technology for detecting HIV-genome derived G-Quadruplex (GQ). Current HIV tests often suffer from false positives and missed early infections. The new technology, GQ Topology-Targeted Reliable Conformational Polymorphism (GQ-RCP), improves reliability by targeting specific GQ structures. It was initially designed for detecting SARS-CoV-2 but has now been adapted for HIV. The fluorometric test offers higher reliability, reducing false positives and improving diagnosis.

Notes:
India and Sweden co-chaired the 6th Annual Summit of the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) in Baku, Azerbaijan, during COP29. LeadIT was launched in September 2019 at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York. LeadIT2.0, launched at COP28 in 2023, sets new targets for 2024-26. The summit was co-chaired by India’s Kirit Vardhan Singh and Sweden’s Romina Pourmokhtari. Attended by 41 member countries and various stakeholders from industry and academia. LeadIT, supported by the World Economic Forum, targets carbon emissions reduction in energy-intensive industries to achieve net zero by 2050.