Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Banjara Virasat Museum in Pohardevi, Washim, Maharashtra, highlighting the Banjara community’s heritage. The four-story Banjara Virasat Museum showcases the rich heritage of the Banjara community through portraits of their leaders and historical legacies.

Notes:
The Third 25T Bollard Pull Tug, named Ashva, was launched on October 3, 2024, in Kolkata. Ashva is part of the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative. It was built following the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) classification rules.
The tug will boost the Indian Navy’s operational capabilities, aiding in critical tasks and enhancing maritime support infrastructure.

Notes:
The Drought Resilience+10 (DR+10) Conference, held from September 30 to October 2, 2024, in Geneva, Switzerland, focused on enhancing global drought preparedness and resilience. It marked a decade since the first High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy and brought together policymakers, experts, and practitioners to discuss advancements in drought management. With droughts becoming more frequent due to climate change, the conference emphasized the need for effective policies and global mechanisms to address systemic drought risks and promote sustainable development.

Notes:
A boat capsized in Lake Kivu, eastern Congo, killing at least 78 people out of 278 passengers. Lake Kivu is one of East Africa’s Great Lakes, between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda. It is Rwanda’s largest lake and the sixth largest in Africa, situated in the Albertine Rift. The lake covers 1,040 square miles and lies 1,460 meters above sea level. 58% of the lake’s waters are in DRC, with the rest in Rwanda. It has a maximum depth of 475 meters and empties into the Rusizi River flowing into Lake Tanganyika.

Notes:
Ceres was reclassified from an asteroid to a dwarf planet due to its mass, which allows it to maintain a round shape. Recent studies by Purdue University and NASA revealed that its crust is likely composed of 90% ice, suggesting a history as a watery world. The findings are based on data from NASA’s Dawn mission, which provided insights into Ceres’ cratered surface and icy composition, challenging previous assumptions about its geology.

Notes:
The Thirukurungudi Temples, including the Nambi Rayar Temple, Thirumalai Nambi Temple, and Aniliswarar Temple, are situated in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has recently documented inscriptions from these temples, dating back to the 9th Century during the Pandya period. These inscriptions reveal historical donations, including sheep for temple lamps and tax-free land for gardens, highlighting the region’s rich cultural heritage and religious practices during the Vijayanagara reign.

Notes:
The Karnataka State Wildlife Board recently approved the declaration of Hesaraghatta grassland as the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve. This decision aims to protect green spaces in Bengaluru amid urban expansion. The area encompasses 5,010 acres, including multiple lakes and forest areas. The move addresses long-standing demands for environmental conservation and follows a previous rejection of the proposal in 2021, which was reconsidered due to a High Court directive.

Notes:
Hurricane Milton has intensified into a Category 5 storm, posing an extreme risk to Florida, USA, particularly the Tampa Bay area. With a central pressure of 897 mb, it ranks as the fifth most intense hurricane in Atlantic history. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of life-threatening winds and destructive storm surges as Milton approaches the Gulf coast. Evacuations are underway, and residents are urged to take precautions due to potential flooding and hazardous conditions.

Notes:
RBI proposed the Reserve Bank Climate Risk Information System (RB-CRIS) to bridge gaps in climate-related data. Current climate data is fragmented, from varied sources, formats, and frequencies. RB-CRIS will have two parts: a public web directory of data sources and a data portal with standardized datasets. RBI will launch RB-CRIS in phases, starting with the directory, followed by the portal for regulated entities. Regulated entities must assess climate risks to ensure financial stability. RBI’s draft guidelines require disclosures on governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics related to climate risks.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has designated Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) as a terrorist organization under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The group seeks to establish a global Islamic state and Caliphate through terrorism, posing a significant threat to India’s national security. HuT has been involved in radicalizing youth and promoting terrorism via social media, making it a serious concern for the Indian government.