Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India organized a two-day National Conference of the District Judiciary on August 31 and September 1, 2024 in New Delhi. The conference was inaugurated at Bharat Mandapam, where a coin and postage stamp were released to commemorate 75 years of the Apex Court. The event featured six sessions attended by over 800 participants from the district judiciary across all States and Union Territories. Sessions focused on improving infrastructure, accessibility, and inclusivity in the judiciary, addressing judicial security, case management strategies, and enhancing judicial training programs. The conference also discussed how higher courts can better support district judiciary needs.

Notes:
Air Marshal Tejinder Singh became the Deputy Chief of the Air Staff of the Indian Air Force in New Delhi. After taking his new position, he paid tribute to fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial. Tejinder Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and joined the IAF fighter stream on June 13, 1987. He is a Category ‘A’ Qualified Flying Instructor with over 4,500 flying hours. He studied at the Defence Service Staff College and National Defence College. He has commanded a Fighter Squadron, a Radar Station, a Fighter Base, and was Air Officer Commanding in Jammu and Kashmir. He received the Vayu Sena Medal in 2007 and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022.

Notes:
Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the AgriSURE Fund and Krishi Nivesh Portal in New Delhi. He conferred the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) Excellence Awards to top-performing banks and states. The awards recognized and appreciated outstanding efforts in agricultural infrastructure. Ministers of State and representatives from various states and banks attended the event. The Ministry believed the award ceremony would inspire other banks to improve their performance. The AIF was launched in 2022 to develop post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.

Notes:
OpenAI is preparing to release its most advanced AI model, potentially part of ChatGPT-5, known as Project Strawberry. This model is expected to greatly enhance AI’s reasoning, math, and programming skills, bringing OpenAI closer to developing Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). Project Strawberry can generate high-quality synthetic data to address gaps in real-world data and improve training accuracy. AGI refers to AI with capabilities comparable to the human brain.
Synthetic data is artificial data created by algorithms to replicate real-world data patterns and characteristics.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Electronics & IT launched the 2nd Cohort of the Startup Accelerators of MeitY for Product Innovation, Development and Growth (SAMRIDH) scheme. SAMRIDH, started in August 2021, is a flagship program of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under the National Policy on Software Products – 2019. The program supports 300 software startups with a ₹99 crore budget over 4 years. It helps existing and new accelerators select and scale potential IT-based startups. SAMRIDH provides startups with customer connections, investor connections, and international market access to boost growth. The initiative aims to accelerate innovation, development, and growth in the tech sector.

Notes:
India’s first study on “teal carbon” was conducted at Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan, highlighting the importance of wetland conservation for climate adaptation and resilience. Teal carbon refers to carbon stored in non-tidal freshwater wetlands, including vegetation, microbial biomass, and organic matter. These wetlands are more effective at capturing and storing carbon than forests, sequestering more carbon than any terrestrial ecosystem. The term “teal carbon” reflects organic carbon’s functions and location rather than physical properties. Globally, wetlands store an estimated 21 petagrams of teal carbon, making them crucial for carbon management.

Notes:
A Bengaluru doctor noted an increase in Kawasaki disease among children after COVID-19’s second wave. Kawasaki disease, or Kawasaki syndrome, mainly affects children under 5 years. It causes fever and inflammation of blood vessels, especially the coronary arteries, leading to heart issues. The immune system attacks blood vessels, causing swelling and problems with lymph nodes, skin, and the mouth. Symptoms include fever, rash, swollen hands, red eyes, and swollen lymph glands. First identified by Tomisaku Kawasaki in Japan in 1967. The cause is unknown, but cases often occur in late winter and early spring.

Notes:
Randhir Singh, a key figure in Indian sports administration, has been elected as the first Indian president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) at its 44th General Assembly. Singh, who has been associated with the OCA for over 33 years, achieves a historic milestone for Asian sports. His deep experience and background in sports are expected to drive initiatives to strengthen the OCA’s global role, including preparations for the upcoming Asian Games and other major events.

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Tuhin Kanta Pandey has been appointed as the new Finance Secretary. He is a senior IAS officer from the 1987 Odisha Cadre. He currently serves in the Finance Ministry, overseeing the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) and the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM).

Notes:
In Odisha, especially in the western and some southern regions, people are celebrating the ‘Nauakhai’ festival, which marks the start of the new rice season. On this occasion, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi introduced the CM-Kisan Yojana to support farmers with financial aid. Under this scheme, farmers will receive Rs 4,000 annually in two parts. Today, Rs 2,000 was deposited into the accounts of around 46 lakh farmers, with the remaining amount to be given on Akshaya Tritiya. A total of Rs 925.40 crore will be distributed to nearly 46 lakh beneficiaries.