Daily Current Affairs Quiz: August 14 2024

Ans (A)

The annual Mitra Shakti military exercise between the Indian Army and the Sri Lankan Army began on 12 August 2024 at the Sri Lankan Army Training School in Maduru Oya. This week-long exercise will continue until 25 August.

The exercise is part of efforts to enhance military relations and strengthen ties between India and Sri Lanka. It began in 2012 and alternates between the two countries. The 2024 exercise is the 10th edition; the previous one took place in Pune, India, in 2023.

The focus of the exercise is on infantry operations, with two mixed infantry divisions from both armies participating. This year, 106 personnel from the Rajputana Rifles are involved, and Sri Lanka is represented by the Gajaba Regiment.

Each side will deploy one Infantry Battalion, three Armoured Tanks, four BMP tanks, five to ten Artillery observers, and about fifty Engineers.

Ans (D)

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar visited Rajasthan on 9 and 10 August 2024.

He addressed the Platinum Jubilee celebration of the Rajasthan High Court at Jodhpur on 10 August 2024.

Dhankhar was the chief guest at the event.

The High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan was established on 29 August 1949.

During his visit, Vice President Dhankhar also addressed the State-Level Conference of Judicial Officers in Jodhpur.

The High Court of Judicature for Rajasthan was inaugurated on 29 August 1949 in the presence of the Rajpramukh Maharaja Sawai Man Singh. The main seat of the High Court was at Jodhpur, with additional benches at Jaipur and Udaipur.

Later, in 1949, through a series of ordinances, the Rajpramukh decreed  Bikaner and Kota as the additional benches of the Rajasthan High Court.

On 22nd May 1950, the Kota, Bikaner, and Udaipur benches were abolished, and only the Jaipur bench of the High Court was kept.

Total strength of the Rajasthan High Court- 50, including the chief justice.

First Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court: Justice  Kamal Kant Verma

Current Chief Justice: Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava(42nd Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court)

Ans (C)

Every year since 2012, 12 August is observed around the world as World Elephant Day.

Elephants are also called Pachyderms.

The word was first used by French naturalist Georges Cuvier in the 1700s to denote hoofed animals with very thick skin.

Elephants, hippopotamuses, rhinoceroses, horses, pigs, etc., are examples of Pachyderms.

Around 55 per cent of Asian elephants are found in India.

Two Canadian filmmakers, Patricia Sims and Michael Clark, and the Elephant Reintroduction Foundation based in Thailand observed the first World Elephant Day on 12 August 2012.

The government of India declared the elephant its national heritage in 2010, on the recommendation of the Elephant Task Force.

Ans (C)

Every year since 2010, the 12th of August has been observed as International Youth Day.

This day celebrates the potential of youth worldwide, highlights the issues confronting youth, and calls upon the international community to use youth in solving the problems of the Earth.

In India National Youth Day has been celebrated on 12 January since 1985.

National Youth Day is observed in India on the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

The United Nations has chosen “From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development” as the theme of the 2024 International Youth Day.

Ans (B)

The Appointments Committee of the Union Cabinet appointed TV Somanathan as India’s Cabinet Secretary.

TV Somanathan, a 1987-batch IAS officer, will start his tenure on August 30 and will serve for two years.

He is currently the Finance Secretary of India.

He will initially serve as Officer on Special Duty in the Cabinet Secretariat until he officially assumes the role.

Somanathan previously held roles such as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs and Joint Secretary/Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister.

He has worked in senior positions in Tamil Nadu, including Deputy Secretary (Budget) and Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner of Commercial Taxes.

As founder MD of CMRL, he was instrumental in the Chennai Metro Rail Project.

Somanathan also worked with the World Bank as a Financial Economist and Director.

Ans (A)

India is ranked 71st in the medal tally at the Paris Olympics 2024 among 84 participating countries.

India’s population is 1.45 billion, translating to one medal for every 241.67 million people.

Haryana is the top state when it comes to winning medals for India.

The state, with just 1.4% of India’s total land area, won four of the six medals, which translates to 66% of the haul.

In Haryana, there is one medal for every 7 million people.

In Maharashtra, there is one medal for every 125 million people.

Haryana is 21st in terms of area in India, covering 44,212 square kilometers (17,070 square miles), which is less than 1.4% of India’s total land area of 3,287,263 square kilometers.

Top 5 are –

Country – Gold – Silver – Bronze – Total

United States – 40 – 44 – 42 – 126

China – 40 – 27 – 24 – 91

Japan – 20 – 12 – 13 – 45

Australia – 18 – 19 – 16 – 53

France – 16 – 26 – 22 – 64

Ans (C)

India and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the Unified Payments Interface in the archipelago nation, which will have a “very positive” impact on its tourism sector.

Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones.

Tourism is the main source of economic activity for the Maldives, contributing nearly 30 per cent of the GDP and generating more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange.

Ans (A)

Abhinav Bindra has been elected as the Second Vice Chair of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission.

Bindra is India’s first individual Olympic gold medalist and has been with the Athletes’ Commission since 2018.

The new leadership team includes Chair Emma Terho and Vice Chair Maja Włoszczowska, and will lead until the 2026 Winter Olympics.

The election followed the inclusion of four new members to the Athletes’ Commission, chosen by athletes from the Paris 2024 Games.

Emma Terho retains her position as Chair, having been elected in Pyeongchang 2018, and re-elected in Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

Maja Włoszczowska, a Polish cyclist, joins Bindra in the leadership role.

The IOC Athletes’ Commission serves as the voice of athletes within the IOC and has a maximum of 23 members, reflecting diverse representation across genders, regions, and sports.

Ans (B)

Paul Kagame has been sworn in for a fourth term as Rwanda’s president after winning 99% of the vote in last month’s election.

India and Rwanda established diplomatic relations in 1962, with embassies in each other’s capitals.

India assists Rwanda through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program, providing development support and technical expertise.

Rwanda is a landlocked country located in East-Central Africa, bordered by Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.

Rwanda is home to Lake Kivu, one of the African Great Lakes, which forms part of its western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ans (B)

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024.

IIT Madras ranked first in the NIRF 2024 overall category, followed by IISC Bengaluru.

In the University category, IISC Bengaluru leads, with JNU and Jamia Millia Islamia following.

IIT Madras, IIM Ahmedabad, and AIIMS Delhi secured top positions in the Engineering, Management, and Medical categories, respectively.

State Public Universities: Anna University, Chennai

Open University: IGNOU