Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2024

Notes:
The elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) was recently spotted in Haryana’s Damdama area during a research survey in the Aravallis. It is medium-sized with a yellowish-brown or olive shell and black blotches on each scute. During the breeding season, it develops a pink ring around its nostrils, and mature individuals show pinkish color around the nostrils and eyes. It is found in Sal deciduous and hilly evergreen forests across Southeast Asia, including parts of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Its IUCN status is Critically Endangered, and it is listed in CITES Appendix II.

Notes:
China will adhere to planetary protection guidelines for its Tianwen-3 mission. Planetary protection aims to prevent biological contamination between Earth and other celestial bodies. This principle is based on Article IX of the Outer Space Treaty (1967), which seeks to avoid harmful contamination of environments. The Tianwen-3 mission is China’s Mars sample-return project, set for a proposed 2028 launch. It will involve sending two spacecraft—an orbiter and a lander—to Mars to collect and return samples of Martian rocks and soil to Earth.

Notes:
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) inaugurated a Tobacco Cessation Clinic (TCC) in New Delhi on September 10, 2024. The clinic is a collaboration between the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre and the institute’s Department of Pulmonary, Critical, and Sleep Medicine. The clinic’s goal is to help people who are struggling with tobacco addiction. Tobacco use is a major public health issue in India, which is the world’s second-largest consumer and third-largest producer of tobacco. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2 (GATS-2), 28.6% of Indian adults aged 15 and above use tobacco in some form.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated SEMICON India 2024 on 11 September 2024 in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The event runs from 11 to 13 September and highlights India as a growing semiconductor investment hub. SEMICON India 2024 offers a platform for global semiconductor leaders, industry, and government officials to connect. The event is organized by SEMI, in collaboration with München India and supported by MeitY. The theme is “Shaping the Semiconductor Future.” India’s electronics sector is currently valued at $150 billion, with a target of $500 billion by 2030.

Notes:
Authorities discharged 1.19 lakh cusecs of water from Ukai Dam after rainfall, bringing its water level close to the danger mark of 345 feet. The Ukai Dam, built on the Tapti River, is the second-largest reservoir in Gujarat after the Sardar Sarovar. Also called Vallabh Sagar, it was constructed in 1972 for irrigation, power generation, and flood control. It holds 46% of the combined capacity of all other Gujarat dams. The dam has a 62,255 km² catchment area, similar to the Bhakra Nangal Dam. Its embankment wall is 4,927 meters long with a height of 80.77 meters.

Notes:
China and Russia recently announced joint naval and air drills called ‘Northern United-2024’ in the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk. The exercise aims to boost strategic cooperation between China and Russia and enhance their ability to address security threats. The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea in the western Pacific, bordered by Japan, Sakhalin Island, Russia, and Korea. The Sea of Okhotsk is surrounded by the Kamchatka Peninsula, Kuril Islands, Hokkaido, and Sakhalin Island. These drills highlight the increasing military collaboration between the two nations.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurates the 2nd International Conference on Green Hydrogen on 11 September 2024. The conference takes place at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 11-13 September 2024. The aim is to position India as a global leader in the green hydrogen ecosystem. It focuses on technological advancements and strategic investments in the green hydrogen value chain. The event is organized by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Principal Scientific Adviser’s Office.

Notes:
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Russian President Vladimir Putin on 12 September 2024 during the BRICS national security advisors meeting. Russia is the current chair of BRICS and will host all related meetings in 2024, including the 16th BRICS summit in Kazan from 22 to 24 October 2024. President Putin invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the summit. The BRICS national security advisors’ conclave took place in St. Petersburg from 11 to 13 September 2024, attended by 10 member countries, including India, Russia, Brazil, China, and others. The meeting was hosted by Russian NSA Sergei Shoigu.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation dissolved the 14-member Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS), led by economist Pronab Sen. The government cited overlap with the Steering Committee for National Sample Surveys, chaired by Rajeeva Laxman Karandikar, as the reason for dismantling SCoS. SCoS, formed in December 2019 as SCES, was renamed in July 2023 to advise on surveys for MoSPI. SCoS guided survey methodologies, data gaps, and pilot surveys. A new Steering Committee with 17 members replaces SCoS, with a similar role but more official members.

Notes:
Mexico became the first country to allow voters to elect judges at all levels. The decision followed protests that interrupted debate in the upper house. The reform was approved with 86 votes in favor and 41 against. A two-thirds majority was required to amend the constitution, and the reform achieved this threshold.