Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2024

Notes:
Switzerland and Italy have redrawn their national boundary due to melting Alpine glaciers. Many parts of the Swiss-Italian border are determined by glacier ridgelines, which are shifting as glaciers melt. The redrawn section lies beneath the Matterhorn, one of Europe’s highest peaks. Switzerland’s glaciers lost 10% of their ice volume in 2022-2023, a record high. More than half of Switzerland’s electricity comes from hydroelectric facilities, which are also at risk due to accelerated glacier melting.

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:
The Negro River, a main tributary of the Amazon, recently dropped to its lowest level in 122 years. It is one of the largest tributaries of the Amazon River and one of the world’s largest rivers by discharge. Originating from eastern Colombia, it flows through Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil before joining the Amazon at Manaus. The river spans about 1,400 miles, with 850 miles in Brazil. The river was named “Negro” for its dark water due to decomposed organic matter and tannins. It is the world’s largest blackwater river. The Central Amazon Ecological Corridor, a giant protected area, surrounds it.

Notes:
India hosts the joint naval exercise of Quad nations from October 8 to 18 in Visakhapatnam. The exercise, named Malabar 2024, includes sea and harbor phases focusing on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. It features various Indian naval platforms, such as guided missile destroyers, submarines, and fighter aircraft. The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a US-India drill and evolved into a multilateral event to enhance interoperability and address maritime challenges. Recent Quad meetings emphasized maritime security cooperation and announced joint coast guard operations and a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training (MAITRI).

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:
Darjeeling’s Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park’s Red Panda Program is a finalist for the 2024 WAZA Conservation Award. Between 2022 and 2024, nine captive-bred red pandas were released into Singalila National Park, West Bengal. The zoo collaborates with institutions and the government of India for habitat restoration. It has a Biobanking and Genetic Resource Facility to preserve gametes, tissues, and DNA of Red Pandas and other endangered species. The award winner will be announced at the 79th WAZA Annual Conference on 7th November in Taronga Zoo, Australia.

Notes:
The World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (WTSA) takes place in New Delhi from October 14 to 24, 2024.
WTSA has been held every four years since 2002 and is the governing conference of the ITU Standardisation Sector. It defines the work program and structure of study groups for telecommunication standardization. Hosting WTSA 2024 is a significant milestone for India in setting global telecommunication standards. The event will start with the Global Standards Symposium (GSS) on October 14, 2024, focusing on ICT standardization policy debates.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered a new damselfly species named Agasthyamalai Bambootail in Manjadininnavila, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. This rare species belongs to the bambootail group, known for their long cylindrical abdomens resembling bamboo stalks. It was found in the Agasthyamalai landscape of the Western Ghats. The only other species in this genus is the Malabar Bambootail, located in Coorg-Wayanad. Agasthyamalai Bambootail can be identified by the absence of the anal bridge vein in its wings. It features a long black body with striking blue markings and differs from the Malabar Bambootail in specific anatomical structures.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to fully digitalize document registration with its new e-registry system, Sampada 2.0. This advanced version of the software and mobile app allows document registration to be completed online, eliminating the need for physical visits to Sub-Registrar offices. The process is now completely digital, secure, and paperless, making it more convenient and hassle-free for users.

Notes:
The “Steadfast Noon” exercise is a major NATO nuclear drill is scheduled to take place on October 13, 2024. It will involve 2,000 personnel and 60 aircraft from 13 nations, primarily conducted in the North Sea, approximately 900 kilometers from Russia. This exercise has been held annually for over a decade and aims to demonstrate NATO’s readiness to counter threats to its member countries, particularly in light of recent changes in Russia’s nuclear doctrine.