Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
Harvinder Singh won a historic gold medal in men’s individual recurve archery at the Paris Paralympics 2024. This win marked India’s 22nd medal in the event. He defeated Poland’s Lukasz Ciszek in the final. His achievement adds to India’s successes in other Paralympic sports like shot put and club throw. This highlights India’s increasing presence and accomplishments in Paralympic sports.

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:
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited Sootea Police Station in Biswanath District. He paid tribute to the martyrs of the 1942 Quit India Movement. He announced that August 20 will be celebrated as Sootea Day. Sarma revealed plans to build a heritage monument at the site. Rs 5 crores have been allocated for this project.

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The Union Ministry of Textiles launched the VisioNxt web portal to make India a global fashion leader. The portal provides real-time, India-specific fashion trend insights, reducing reliance on foreign forecasting agencies. It was launched by Union Minister Giriraj Singh on 5 September 2024 in New Delhi. The India-specific Fashion Trend Book ‘Paridhi 24×25’ was also unveiled at the event. The VisioNxt portal was developed by the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Located at NIFT Chennai, VisioNxt uses AI and emotional intelligence, with a prediction model called “DeepVision” to interpret Indian fashion trends.

Notes:
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) announced a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system in India. The system was developed by the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) to reduce congestion at toll plazas. It provides real-time traffic data, enabling officials to manage traffic flow efficiently. Alerts are sent when congestion exceeds limits, suggesting lane adjustments. The system analyzes traffic trends over time and factors in weather and local events to predict disruptions. Toll plazas are mapped using GIS technology for better traffic management.

Notes:
The Eastern Economic Forum 2024 was held in Vladivostok, Russia. It is an annual international event, started in 2015, aimed at boosting economic development in Russia’s Far East. The forum encourages investment and cooperation between Russia and Asia-Pacific nations. It gathers government officials, business leaders, investors, and policymakers to discuss economic opportunities and enhance regional connectivity. The event helps shape economic diplomacy and build partnerships in the Asia-Pacific region. The Russian Far East borders two oceans, the Pacific and the Arctic, and five countries: China, Japan, Mongolia, the United States, and North Korea.

Notes:
A study published in Nature reveals India is the world’s largest plastic polluter, releasing 9.3 million tonnes annually.
Plastic emissions are defined as materials moving from a controlled to an uncontrolled state in the environment. India’s plastic pollution accounts for about 20% of global emissions. India generates around 0.12 kilograms of plastic waste per capita per day. Global plastic waste emissions were 52.1 million tonnes in 2020. Nigeria and Indonesia are the second and third largest polluters, with 3.5 and 3.4 million tonnes, respectively. High-income countries have higher waste rates but better collection and disposal systems.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Textiles announced that annual exports of technical textiles are expected to exceed $10 billion by 2030. Technical textiles are materials designed for their functional properties rather than aesthetics. They include industrial, functional, performance, and hi-tech textiles. These textiles offer high physical, mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties for various industrial uses. They are used in sectors like construction, transport, defense, medical, and more, either on their own or as parts of other products. They are made from both natural and synthetic fibers and are categorized into 12 groups based on their applications.

Notes:
Iran has delivered short-range ballistic missiles, including the Fath-360, to Russia, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The Fath-360 is a precise and mobile Iranian SRBM designed for tactical strikes on military and infrastructure targets. It weighs 787 kilograms and travels at speeds of Mach 3 to 4. Equipped with a solid-fuel engine, it enables rapid deployment with a range of 120 to 300 kilometers. It carries a 150-kilogram warhead and is difficult to intercept due to its small, maneuverable design. The missile uses an inertial guidance system and satellite navigation for 30-meter accuracy. The Fath-360 is launched from a truck-mounted system capable of deploying multiple missiles.

Notes:
Home Minister Amit Shah was unanimously re-elected as Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language. The government aims for all government systems to operate in Indian languages by 2047. The Department of Official Language is developing software to automatically translate all languages of the Eighth Schedule. A meeting was held in New Delhi to reconstitute the committee after the formation of the new government. Amit Shah previously served as the committee’s Chairperson from 2019 to 2024.