ALL EXAM QUIZ 21.12.2024

Explanation:

• Legendary off-spinner R Ashwin announced his retirement from international cricket.
• On December 18, the 38-year-old veteran made the announcement soon after the third Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy ended in a draw.
• He played in only one of the first three Tests of the ongoing series against Australia, taking one for 53 in the day-night match in Adelaide.
• On 6 November 2011, he made his Test debut for India against the West Indies in Delhi.
• Ashwin is India's second-highest wicket-taker in international or Test cricket.
• In his illustrious career, he has taken 537 wickets in 106 Test matches, making him second only to Anil Kumble, who has taken 619 wickets.
• He has also scored six centuries and 14 half-centuries in Test cricket.
• Ashwin has also played 116 ODIs and 65 T20 Internationals for India, taking 156 and 72 wickets, respectively.
• Ashwin is set to continue playing in the T20 tournament and will represent the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2025.

Explanation:

• The annual funding to the agricultural sector has increased nearly six times over the past decade.
• The budget allocation for the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has increased six-fold, from around Rs 21 thousand crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1 lakh 22 thousand crore in 2024-25.
• The major schemes being implemented for the welfare of farmers include Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Kisan Mandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
• The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has released a compilation of success stories of 75,000 farmers.
• They have more than doubled their income through the convergence of schemes run by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and allied ministries.
• Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Ram Nath Thakur said that farming is a state subject, hence, state governments need to take appropriate steps for the development of agriculture.
• However, the Government of India supports these efforts through appropriate policy measures, budgetary allocations, and various schemes.

Explanation:

• Tulsi Gowda, the Encyclopaedia of Forest, passed away at the age of 86.
• Padma Shri awardee Tulsi Gowda, known as the “tree goddess” by the Halakki tribal community, passed away from age-related ailments.
• She dedicated her life to nurturing nature, planting thousands of saplings, and conserving our environment.
• She was also known as the ‘encyclopedia of the forest’.
• She was an autodidact with extraordinary knowledge of forests.
• She directly supported afforestation efforts, preventing poaching, and mitigating forest fires that threatened local wildlife.
• She has planted and nurtured over 1 lakh trees across Karnataka.
• Her contributions have strengthened one community reserve, five tiger reserves, and 15 conservation reserves.

Explanation:

• 'Jamsetji Tata Award' has been given to Kiran Mazumdar for the biosciences movement in India.
• The Indian Society for Quality (ISQ) presented Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw with the Jamsetji Tata Award.
• Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw is chairperson of the Biocon Group.
• She has been given Jamsetji Tata Award in recognition of her leadership in the biosciences movement in India.
• At the ISQ Annual Conference 2024, which took place in Bengaluru, the award was presented.
• Janak Kumar Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of TQM International and President of ISQ, presented the prize to Mazumdar-Shaw.
• In 2004, the Jamsetji Tata Award was established. It honours business leaders who have significantly impacted Indian society.

Explanation:

• Protected Area Regime (PAR) has been reimposed in Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland by Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
• This has been done in response to growing security concerns raised by the inflow from neighbouring countries.
• Foreigners will need to obtain prior authorisation and specific permissions to enter the three states.
• The relaxation has been withdrawn after 14 years.
• In the starting, the PAR was relaxed for a year in 2010 in the three states bordering Myanmar, and then the order was extended for five years.
• The most recent PAR order was issued on December 16, 2022, and was valid until December 2027.
• With the reimposition of the Protected Area Regime, the movements of foreign visitors to Manipur would be closely monitored.
• They must obtain the relevant Protected Area Permits (PAP) in line with the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order 1958.
• Since May 3, 2023, ethnic warfare has erupted in Manipur between the tribal Kuki-Zo people and the Meitei group.

Explanation:

• First-ever Ganges river dolphin tagging has been conducted in Assam.
• As part of wildlife conservation, the first-ever Ganges River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) has been tagged in Assam.
• This initiative has been conducted by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak, with funding from the National CAMPA Authority.
• This is the first tagging for this species and this milestone is a significant advancement of Project Dolphin.
• The tagging exercise will help in understanding their seasonal and migratory patterns, range, distribution, and habitat utilization.

Ganges River Dolphin

• It is the National Aquatic Animal of India.
• It is nearly blind and relies on echolocation for its biological needs.
• 90% of this species' population resides in India.
• It is found in the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli river systems.

Explanation:

• Russia has developed an mRNA vaccine for cancer patients.
• This vaccine will be available from early 2025 and distributed for free to Russians.
• This announcement has been made by Andrey Kaprin, General Director of the Radiology Medical Research Center under the Russian Ministry of Health.
• This will only cure cancer patients, not prevent cancer.
• The cost of the vaccine will be around 300,000 rubles per dose.
• The pre-clinical trials of the vaccine have demonstrated its ability to suppress tumour growth and prevent metastases.
• The mRNA vaccines work by introducing a piece of messenger RNA into the body. It will prompt cells to produce a specific protein.
• RNA or Ribonucleic acid is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions in living cells.
• The vaccine uses components of the patient's tumour to train the immune system to identify and attack cancer cells.

Explanation:

• Rama Mohan Rao Amara has been appointed as managing director in the bank for a period of three years.
• The SBI board is headed by a Chairman assisted by four managing directors.
• Rama Mohan Rao Amara was working as the Deputy Managing Director of SBI.
• This post had become vacant after the elevation of CS Shetty as chairman of the bank.
• Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) has recommended the name of Rama Mohan Rao Amara

Explanation:

• Japan and Indian startups have decided to study laser-equipped satellites to tackle space debris.
• Space startups in Japan and India have agreed to jointly study using laser-equipped satellites to remove debris from orbit.
• Tokyo-based Orbital Lasers and Indian robotics company InspeCity would study business opportunities for in-space services.
• They would study business opportunities for in-space services such as de-orbiting a defunct satellite and extending a spacecraft’s life.
• These companies said that they had signed a preliminary agreement to initiate the collaboration.
• InspeCity was founded in 2022 and raised $1.5 million last year while Orbital Lasers has raised 900 million yen.
• Both countries governments are working together on the joint Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) mission, it could be launched as early as 2026.

Explanation:

• India has achieved a significant milestone in wildlife conservation by tagging the Ganges River Dolphin for the first time in Assam.
• The initiative, announced by the Union Environment Ministry on December 19, 2024, aims to enhance understanding about the migratory patterns and habitat use of dolphins.
• The tagging was carried out by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in collaboration with the Assam Forest Department and Aaranyak under a project funded by the National CAMPA Authority.