Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
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:
A new jumping spider species, Carrhotus piperus, has been discovered in the lower Palani Hills of Tamil Nadu. It was found on pepper plants, about two meters above the ground. The name piperus comes from the plant Piper nigrum, reflecting its habitat. This discovery adds to the rich biodiversity of the region and brings the total Carrhotus species in India to 10, and globally to 37. The spider is unique due to its prolateral protrusion and beak-shaped embolus. The Palani Hills are part of the Western Ghats and are a continuation of the Anaimalai Hills in Kerala.

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The rescue of Qaid Farhan Alkadi, a Bedouin hostage from Gaza, has highlighted the Bedouin community in Israel. The Bedouins are part of Israel’s Arab minority, making up about 20% of the population. Though they hold Israeli citizenship, Bedouins face unique socio-economic challenges. Traditionally nomadic, modern pressures and state policies have affected their way of life, leading to marginalization. The Bedouin community primarily resides in the Negev Desert, which has harsh living conditions and is a center of land and resource conflicts.

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Siddhartha Agarwal, a 49-year-old swimmer from Bengaluru, became the oldest Indian to swim across the English Channel. He completed the 42-km swim between England and France on August 29 in 15 hours and six minutes. His journey began in 2018 when he crossed the Channel as part of an eight-member relay team. Srikaanth Viswanathan, also from Bengaluru, held the previous record at 46, becoming the oldest to swim the Channel solo.

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The central government has designated the international trans-shipment hub at Galathea Bay in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands as a ‘Major Port.’ It is located on Great Nicobar Island and is being developed as an International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP). The project will receive central funding and be developed under a public-private partnership model. Phase 1 is set to begin in 2028 with a handling capacity of 4 million TEUs, growing to 16 million TEUs by 2058. The port’s strategic location near international trade routes and its deep water depth make it significant for capturing transshipment cargo from other ports.

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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.

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The SBI Foundation launched the third edition of its Asha Scholarship Program. It aimed to provide financial support to 10,000 talented students from underprivileged backgrounds. The scholarship offered amounts between Rs 15,000 and Rs 20 lakh. It helped students from Class 6 to postgraduate levels pursue their educational goals. This initiative showed SBI’s commitment to supporting educational opportunities for disadvantaged students across India.

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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to revive District Agro-Meteorology Units (DAMUs) under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) scheme. DAMUs were first established in 2018 by IMD in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The goal was to provide sub-district-level agricultural advisories using weather data. Located in Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), DAMUs prepared advisories on sowing, harvesting, fertilizers, and irrigation. These advisories were shared with farmers twice a week via messages, WhatsApp, newspapers, and in-person. They helped farmers plan activities and gave early warnings for extreme weather events.

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The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY) has completed five successful years. It was launched on September 12, 2019. It provides social security to land-holding small and marginal farmers across India. The scheme is a voluntary old-age pension program offering Rs. 3,000 per month to eligible farmers after they turn sixty. Farmers contribute monthly to the pension fund, with the central government matching their contributions.

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Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently announced an additional benefit under the Ladli Behna Yojana. Launched on March 15, 2023, the scheme aims to enhance women’s economic independence, improve health and nutrition for women and their children, and boost their role in family decisions. Women aged 21 to 60 receive Rs 1250 per month under the scheme. The program is managed by the Department of Women and Child Development.