Daily Current Affairs Quiz: September 20 2024

Ans (A)

The Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Unnat Gram Abhiyan (PMJUGA) scheme was approved on 18 September 2024.

The scheme aims to improve the socio-economic conditions of tribal majority villages and aspirational districts.

It will be implemented over a duration of 5 years.

The total allocation for the scheme is Rs. 79,156 crore, with the central government contributing Rs. 56,333 crore and the state governments contributing Rs. 22,823 crore.

The scheme will cover 549 districts, 2,740 blocks, and 63,000 villages, benefiting more than 5 crore tribal people.

The scheme includes 25 interventions to be implemented by 17 Union Ministries under the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribes (DAPST).

Ans (B)

The Union Cabinet approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission on 18 September 2024.

The mission aims to collect lunar samples from the moon’s surface and return them to Earth.

Only the United States, Russia, and China have previously brought lunar soil back to Earth.

The ultimate goal is to land an Indian astronaut on the lunar surface by 2040.

ISRO will lead the Chandrayaan-4 mission and has been allocated a budget of Rs 2104.06 crore for its completion in 36 months.

The Chandrayaan-4 mission will pave the way for the landing of an Indian astronaut (Gaganyatri) on the moon.

The Indian government’s space program includes missions to Venus, an Indian Space Station by 2035, and a moon landing by 2040.

Ans (C)

Glasgow will host the 2026 Commonwealth Games after Victoria, Australia, declined.

Glasgow has previously hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2012.

The 2026 Games will be a scaled-down version with only 10 sporting events, compared to 17 in 2022.

The Games will not include an athlete’s village, new stadiums, and will feature modest opening and closing ceremonies.

The first Commonwealth Games was held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada, and was originally called the British Empire Games.

The Games are held every four years, but not in 1942 and 1946 due to World War II.

Only two Asian cities, Kuala Lumpur and Delhi, have hosted the Games; no African country has hosted them.

The Commonwealth Games Federation, now known as Commonwealth Sport, administers the Games with 74 member countries.

Only two Asian cities have hosted the Commonwealth Games: Kualumpur, Malaysia, in 1998 and Delhi in 2010.

Ans (B)

The 2nd edition of the NADA India Inclusion Conclave was held in New Delhi on 18 September 2024.

The conclave was organized by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), which is under the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The aim of the conclave is to educate and create awareness among para-athletes about anti-doping.

India reported the highest case of doping in the world in 2022 according to a recent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) report.

India was ranked as the second worst offender in a WADA study of positive doping cases by minors, after Russia.

Ans (D)

Manu Bhaker has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.

The announcement was made by Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal at the 4th Harnessing of the Nari Shakti for the Development of the Nation event in Chennai on 17 September 2024.

Manu Bhaker, born in Jhajjar, Haryana, is the youngest Indian shooter to win an ISSF World Cup medal and made history at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris by winning two medals.

Apart from Manu Bhaker, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also felicitated First Lady Marine Engineer in the history of Indian Mercantile Marine, Sonali Banerjee;  First Women Captain of the INSV Tarini, Lt Commander Vartika Joshi; 2024 Paris Paralympics Badminton  silver medallist, Thulasimathi Murugesan; Paris Paralympics silver medalist in badminton Manisha Ramadass.

Ans (C)

Shri Piyush Goyal has launched the Bharat Startup Knowledge Access Registry (BHASKAR) in September 2024 in New Delhi.

BHASKAR, meaning ‘Rising Sun,’ aims to facilitate collaboration, cooperation, and competition among entrepreneurs.

The Minister suggested setting up a Section 8 company to integrate the National Startup Advisory Council (NSAC) and empower unicorns through share distribution.

BHASKAR is designed to unify India’s startup ecosystem, offering industry alliances, dynamic networking, enhanced visibility, and personalized identification numbers.

7. Amazon India has announced the appointment of whom as its new country manager?

(A) Samir Kumar

(B) Atul Jain

(C) Vasu Dev Sukh

(D) Gautam Kumar

(E) Anil Bansal

[spoiler title="Show solution"]
Solution: Option A.)

Ans (A)

Amazon India appointed Samir Kumar as the new country manager, effective October 1.

Kumar will oversee Amazon’s business in India and lead consumer businesses in the Middle East, South Africa, and Turkey.

He joined Amazon in 1999 and was part of the team that planned Amazon India’s launch in 2013.

Amit Agarwal, SVP for Emerging Markets, expressed excitement about Kumar’s appointment and Amazon’s future plans in India.

Ans (D)

Mohana Singh is the first female pilot to join the elite 18 ‘Flying Bullets’ squadron of the Indian Air Force.

She participated in the ‘Tarang Shakti’ exercise in Jodhpur and was part of a historic flight with three Vice Chiefs of the forces.

Singh is from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, with a family legacy in aviation.

Singh was one of the first three women fighter pilots inducted into the IAF in 2016.

She became the first IAF woman pilot to be fully operational on ‘Hawk’ aircraft by day in 2019.

She received the Nari Shakti Puraskar from President Ram Nath Kovind in 2020.

Previously, she flew the MiG-21 and was posted to the LCA squadron in Naliya, Gujarat.

Ans (A)

The Union Cabinet has approved a proposal for simultaneous elections in India, based on recommendations from the Kovind committee.

Simultaneous polls will occur in two phases: Lok Sabha and Assembly elections first, followed by local body elections within 100 days.

The committee proposed 15 constitutional amendments through two Bills.

The first Bill deals with the transition to simultaneous elections and can be passed by Parliament without state consultation.

The second Bill covers municipal, panchayat elections, and creating a Single Electoral Roll, requiring ratification by more than half of India’s states.

Proposed Article 82A will establish the process for simultaneous elections and the roles of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Amendments will also redefine “full term” and “unexpired term” for Lok Sabha and state Assemblies, and expand Parliament’s powers under Article 327 to include simultaneous elections.

Ans (D)

On September 18, 2024, Brijendra Pratap Singh was appointed as the Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of National Aluminium Corporation (NALCO).

NALCO is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under the Ministry of Mines and is classified as a ‘Navratna’ company.

Brijendra Pratap Singh is currently serving as Director in charge of SAIL’s Burnpur and Durgapur Steel Plants.

NALCO is headquartered in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The appointment of Brijendra Pratap Singh to the CMD position was recommended by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) panel.