Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 14, 2024

Answer: D

Current Context : The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu adress the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day.

On August 15, 2024, India will celebrate its 78th Independence Day.

• On this day India gained independence after 90 years of British rule on 15 August 1947.
• This day marks the culmination of a prolonged struggle led by freedom fighters like Mahatma Gandhi through peaceful protest.
• The annual celebration includes flag-hoisting ceremonies, speeches, cultural programs, and parades across the nation.
• On this ocassion Gallantry/Service Medals will be awarded to 1037 Personnel of Police, Fire, Home Guard & Civil Defence and Correctional Services.
• On this ocassion 400 Elected Women Representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions will be Special Guests to the 78th Independence Day celebrations at Red Fort, Delhi.
• Prime Minister Modi has started the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign from 9th to 15th August.

Answer: C

Current Context : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah launches ‘Tiranga Yatra’ in Ahmedabad on the ocassion of 78th Independence Day.

• Under the campaign of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, ‘Har Ghar Tiranga Yatra’ is organized every year to remind the resolve to make the country first in the ‘Amrit Kaal’.
• During Tiranga Yatra he also realise PM Modi’s mantras of Khadi for Nation, Khadi for Fashion, and ‘Har Ghar Tiranga, Har Ghar Khadi’.

Answer: B

Current Context : The Supreme Court directed the National Green Tribunal to monitor and ensure compliance with minimal standards in industries prone to silicosis disease and to take necessary steps to prevent the spread of the disease.

• Researchers claim that present limits of daily exposure to silica dust can pose serious risks of developing silicosis.

ABOUT SILICOSIS

• Silicosis is a respiratory disease which causes a hardening of the lungs.
• It is caused by silica dust or silica crystals, which are found in soil, sand, concrete, mortar, granite and artificial stone.
• The disease is often seen in people who work in industries such as mining, construction, and stone cutting, where exposure to silica dust is common.
• Symptoms : Shortness of Breath, Cough, Chest Pain, Fatigue.
• Silicosis is a progressive disease and has no cure.

Answer: D

Current Context : Odisha government launched first grain ATM at Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar.

• The new Grain ATM, set up under the Annapurti initiative of the central government in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP).
• It will offer 24/7 access to foodgrains under the National Food Security Act, aiming to enhance nutritional security across the state.

ABOUT GRAIN ATM

• Grain ATM, Annapurti is an automated multi-commodity dispensing solution that provides fast, clean and precise access to commodities (rice, wheat, grains) to beneficiaries, post biometric authentication.
• They are often used in areas with high agricultural production but where distribution networks are weak.

Answer: C

Current Context : Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh are on high alert for potential flooding after a crest gate of the 71-year-old Tungabhadra dam.

ABOUT TUNGABHADRA DAM

• It is formed at the confluence near Shimoga of two streams, Tunga and Bhadra, that rise in the Western Ghats.
• River: Tungabhadra River (a tributary of the Krishna River).
• Built In:
• It include Tungabhadra reservoir which sprawls over an area of 378 sq km primarily in Karnataka’s Vijayanagar district.
• It is one of the major reservoirs in South India
• It supplies water for irrigation and industrial use, as well as drinking water to Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
• Storage capacity : 133TMCFT (thousand million cubic feet).

Answer: A

Current Context : Recently, Ministry of Education released the 9th edition of National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024.

• IIT Madras, IISc Bengaluru, and IIT Bombay topped the rankings in their respective categories.
• The NIRF covered 13 categories, including universities, colleges, engineering, and medical fields till 2023.
• In 2024,three new categories,namely Open Universities,State Public Universities and Skill Universities are being introduced, thereby expanding the portfolio of Indian Rankings from 13 in 2023 to 16 in 2024.

UNIVERSITY RANKINGS :

ABOUT NATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL RANKING FRAMEWORK (NIRF)

• It is an initiative by the Government of India designed to assess and rank higher education institutions across various parameters.
• Launched : 2015
• Ministry : Ministry of Education, Government of India
• Objective : To rank higher education institutions in India based on various parameters to promote excellence and transparency in the higher education sector.
• Key Parameters of Evaluation:
  • Teaching, Learning, and Resources (TLR) (30%)
  • Research and Professional Practices (RPC) (30%)
  • Graduation Outcomes (GO) (20%)
  • Outreach and Inclusivity (OI) (10%)
  • Perception (PR) (10%)

HIMACHAL UNIVERSITIES RANKING IN OVERALL

• Indian Institute of Technology Mandi ranked 72 out of 100
• Shoolini University of Biotechnology and Management Sciences in Solan ranked 89 out of 100

Answer: B

Current Context : Recently, Amrit Gyan Kosh portal and Faculty Development portal were launched under Mission Karmayogi.

• Amrit Gyan Kosh portal provides a shared knowledge bank with India-centric case studies.
• The Faculty Development portal focuses on training practitioners and faculty to improve knowledge delivery to civil servants.

ABOUT MISSION KARMAYOGI

• It is an initiative by the Government of India aimed at reforming and modernizing the civil services in India.
• Launched :September 2, 2020
• Objective : To improve the performance and effectiveness of civil servants through a comprehensive and continuous capacity-building framework.
• Government approved the National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) with six key pillars including :
  • Policy Framework, Institutional Framework, Competency Framework, Digital Learning Framework (iGOT-Karmayogi), the electronic Human Resource Management System (e-HRMS) and the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework.
• Managed by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), with oversight from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).

Answer: D

Current Context : Recently, Lok Sabha passed Bhartiya Vayuyan Vidheyak Bill 2024, to replace 90-year-old Aircraft Act.

• Aim : to replace it and eliminate redundancies at a time when India’s civil aviation business is among the fastest-growing globally.
• Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu moved the bill in Lok Sabha.
• Bill introduces regulations for aircraft design and manufacture, thus supporting the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
• It seeks to develop technological advancements and domestic production capacities while fostering self-reliance within the aviation industry.

Answer: C

Current Context : Revenue and Horticulture Minister Jagat Singh Negi laid the foundation stone of the world’s first controlled atmosphere (CA) store based on geothermal technology at Tapri in Kinnaur district.

• It would provide cost-effective storage facilities to the district’s horticulturists.
• It will be set up with the help of Iceland nation.
• Iceland scientists would provide geothermal technology training to horticulture experts of Himachal for the benefit of horticulturists

ABOUT CONTROLLED ATMOSPHERE (CA) STORE

• It is a type of storage facility designed to regulate and maintain specific atmospheric conditions to preserve the quality and extend the shelf life of perishable products, particularly fruits and vegetables.