Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
The forest department held its first ‘Cyclothon’ to celebrate World Wildlife Week 2024 at the Kawal Tiger Reserve’s buffer zone. Kawal Tiger Reserve is in north-eastern Telangana, along the Godavari River. It covers an area of 2,015 sq. km in the Sahyadri Mountain Ranges. The government declared it a Tiger Reserve in 2012. The reserve features diverse habitats, including forests, grasslands, rivers, and water bodies. It is part of the Central Indian Tiger Landscape, connecting to Tadoba-Andhari in Maharashtra and Indravati in Chhattisgarh.

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 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit are being hosted by Lao PDR, the current ASEAN Chair. India is celebrating a decade of its Act East Policy, with ASEAN relations as a key focus. The ASEAN-India Summit will assess the progress of their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discuss future cooperation. The East Asia Summit fosters strategic trust and allows leaders to discuss important regional issues. Prime Minister Modi is expected to hold bilateral meetings during the summits.

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The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their groundbreaking work in machine learning with artificial neural networks. Machine Learning (ML) is a branch of artificial intelligence (AI) focused on creating systems that learn from data. ML enables systems to adapt and improve as they gain more experience. Algorithms in ML identify relationships and patterns in data, making predictions and classifying information.

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The Union Cabinet approved the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat, on 9 October 2024. This complex will be developed in two phases at the ancient Indus Valley site of Lothal. It aims to be an international tourist destination showcasing India’s maritime heritage from ancient to modern times. The Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, in collaboration with the Gujarat government, is overseeing the project under the Sagarmala scheme. Built on 400 acres, it will cost approximately Rs 4500 crore, with work beginning in March 2022.

Notes:
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) homes bring joy to women of the Tharu tribe in Kheri district near the Indo-Nepal border. The Tharu tribe is an indigenous group living in the Terai plain on the Indo-Nepal border, found in both India and Nepal. In India, they are primarily in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, and were recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in 1967. They speak Tharu or Tharuhati, an Indo-Aryan language. Their economy is based on agriculture, cattle-raising, hunting, fishing, and forest products. Tharu homes are made from bamboo and mud.

Notes:
South Korean author Han Kang won the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature. She is the first Korean to receive this honor. Her work is known for its “intense poetic prose” that addresses historical traumas and the fragility of life. Notable works include The Vegetarian (Man Booker International Prize winner in 2016), The White Book, Human Acts, and Greek Lessons.

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A 75-year-old man from Kerala was diagnosed with murine typhus after traveling to Vietnam and Cambodia. Murine typhus is caused by the flea-borne bacteria Rickettsia typhi. It is transmitted to humans through bites from infected fleas, often found on rodents like rats and mice. Fleas can spread the disease for life once infected, and transmission can also occur through contact with infected flea feces. Murine typhus does not spread from person to person and is commonly reported in coastal tropical and subtropical regions. In India, cases have been noted in Northeast states, Madhya Pradesh, and Kashmir.

Notes:
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences was awarded to Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James A Robinson for their research on how institutions affect economic prosperity. They distinguished between inclusive and extractive institutions, emphasizing that societies with poor rule of law and concentrated power do not foster growth. Their findings link the historical choices made by colonizers regarding institutions to present-day economic disparities, highlighting the importance of inclusive systems for long-term prosperity.

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Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea renewed a cooperation agreement to jointly manage Campo-Ma’an National Park and Rio Campo National Park. These parks are key biodiversity hotspots and important carbon sinks. Campo Ma’an National Park in Cameroon covers 2,640 sq km and hosts 80 mammal species, including endangered elephants, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Rio Campo National Park in Equatorial Guinea, spanning 330 sq km, supports great apes, elephants, and hippos. The agreement promotes transboundary management to preserve biodiversity and support sustainable regional development.