Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
The 9th ICC Women’s T20 World Cup started in Sharjah, UAE. The tournament runs from October 3rd to 20th, with ten teams participating. India is in Group A with Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Group B includes Bangladesh, England, Scotland, South Africa, and West Indies. India, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, seeks its first-ever ICC title in this event.

Notes:
Iran recently launched over 180 ballistic missiles, including the hypersonic Fattah-2, targeting Israel’s air defenses. Fattah-2 is a new version of Iran’s first domestically made hypersonic ballistic missile, Fattah, which means conqueror in Farsi. It features a hypersonic glide vehicle (HGV) warhead that can maneuver and glide at hypersonic speed. The missile uses a liquid-fuel rocket propellant, allowing its engine to adjust thrust force.

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Indian shooters dominated the ISSF Junior World Shooting Championship in Peru, winning 24 medals: 13 gold, 3 silver, and 8 bronze. Italy secured second place, while Norway came in third. On the final day, Deepak Dalal, Kamaljeet, and Raj Chandra won the men’s 50m pistol team gold medal. The next major event is the ISSF World Cup Final in New Delhi, scheduled for October 13 to 18.

Notes:
The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare launched the online platform ‘Anubhav’ on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direction. This platform allows retiring and retired government employees to share their work experiences. An Annual Awards Scheme was created in 2015 to encourage submissions, resulting in 10,886 published write-ups. So far, 78 outstanding write-ups have received 59 Anubhav Awards and 19 Jury Certificates. The National Anubhav Awards Scheme 2025 invites Central Government employees and pensioners to submit their write-ups for awards. For the first time, employees from Central Public Sector Undertakings will also be eligible to participate. The submission period for pensioners has been extended from one year to three years post-retirement.

Notes:
The population of Indian Wild Ass (Equus hemionus khur) in Gujarat increased from 6,082 in 2020 to 7,672 in 2024, a rise of 26.14%. The khur is a subspecies of the Asiatic wild ass (Equus hemionus), also known as the onager. It is primarily found in the Little Rann of Kutch (LRK), Gujarat. Little Rann of Kutch is both a wetland and desert, and the khur is a generalist herbivore. It is solitary and shy, classified as endangered by IUCN and listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Notes:
A recent clinical trial indicates that a diet high in advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contributes to India being the world’s diabetic capital. AGEs, also known as glycotoxins, are harmful molecules created by glycation and oxidation of lipids and proteins. Glycation combines molecules with sugars, while oxidation combines them with oxygen. While AGEs are produced by the body’s metabolism, most come from food, particularly through high-temperature cooking methods like grilling and frying. Tobacco use also adds to AGE levels, and production increases with age.

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The All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) will host the World Pickleball Championship (WPC) Series in India for the first time. The event is scheduled for November 12th to 17th, 2024, in Mumbai. It will feature top pickleball talent from around the world, following successful tournaments in Vietnam and Bali. Approximately 650 players from 6 to 7 countries, including Australia, Vietnam, Taiwan, Poland, and Singapore, will participate. The tournament is expected to elevate Indian sports and attract global attention from pickleball enthusiasts.

Notes:
Gujarat has announced to establish a Caracal Breeding and Conservation Center in Kutch’s Chadva Rakhal region with a ₹10 crore budget. The center aims to protect and breed the critically endangered Caracal, found in Kutch. The announcement was made by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel during Wildlife Week celebrations. Although listed as ‘least concern’ globally by the IUCN, Caracals are critically endangered in India. A study confirmed 19 Caracal sightings in Gujarat, all in Kutch, with 9 authenticated by photos. Caracals in India face habitat loss and are protected under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife Act.

Notes:
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John M. Jumper for contributions to protein science. David Baker received the prize for computational protein design, creating entirely new proteins since 2003. Demis Hassabis and John Jumper were recognized for developing AlphaFold2, an AI model that predicts 3D protein structures. AlphaFold2 can predict the structure of nearly all 200 million identified proteins. These innovations are used in fields like pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and solving challenges like antibiotic resistance and plastic degradation.

Notes:
Two foreign climbers, Michelle Theresa Dvorak (USA) and Fay Jane Manners (UK), were rescued from 6,015 meters near Chaukhamba III peak in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. Chaukhamba is part of the Gangotri Group in the Garhwal Himalayas, Uttarakhand. It is located west of Badrinath, near the head of the Gangotri Glacier.