Daily Current Affairs and GK | 13 August 2024

Topic: Art and Culture

1. World's oldest calendar has been discovered in Turkey.

• Archaeologists have discovered the world's oldest calendar in Turkey.
• The calendar is etched in a 12,000-year-old stone pillar, which is discovered by archaeologists at the Gobekli Tepe site in Turkey.
• It will help in rewriting the timeline of human civilization.
• As per this calendar, ancient humans were following accurate ways to keep a track of time before it started getting documented in Ancient Greece in 150 BC.
• The researchers have also discovered that the calendar depicts a comet strike which led to a mini ice age of 1200 years.
• The Gobekli Tepe site is the world's oldest man-made structure discovered so far.
• Humans constructed it between 9,600 and 8,200 BC and the site predates Stonehenge by more than 6,000 years.
• This site has many stone pillars and an analysis of these pillars found that one structure was carved to be a calendar.

Topic: Indian Economy

2. Retail inflation for July 2024 declined to 59 months low level of 3.54 % on a year-on-year basis.

• Consumer Price Index for July 2024 declined mainly because of decrease in prices of vegetables, fruits and spices.
• Food inflation for July 2024 was at its lowest level since June 2023.
• Food inflation was 5.42 % for July 2024 according to the data.
• Inflation for rural areas stood at 4.10% for July 2024. Urban inflation was 2.98% for July 2024.
• In June 2024, retail inflation had increased to 5.08%. Food inflation stood at 8.36% in June 2024.
• The inflation rate in July 2024 was below the Reserve Bank of India’s target of 4%.

(Source: News on AIR)

Topic: International Appointments

3. Syed Refaat Ahmed took the oath of office as new chief justice of Bangladesh.

• Professor Muhammad Yunus, the chief adviser, was present when President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered him the oath.
• Professor Muhammad Yunus heads the interim government in Bangladesh.
• Syed Refaat Ahmed succeeded Obaidul Hassan.
• In the middle of widespread protests calling for a reform of the judiciary and protestors giving judges a deadline to step down, Obaidul Hassan announced his resignation.
• Hassan was seen by protestors as a supporter of Sheikh Hasina, the ousted prime minister of Bangladesh.

Topic: Defence

4. The 10th edition of Exercise MITRA SHAKTI started at Army Training School, Maduru Oya, Sri Lanka.

• It is an India- Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise. It is scheduled to be conducted from 12th to 25th August 2024.
• Indian contingent comprises of 106 personnel. Indian contingent is being represented by a Battalion of Rajputana Rifles along with other personnel.
• Personnel from Gajaba Regiment of Sri Lankan Army are representing the Sri Lankan contingent.
• Exercise MITRA SHAKTI is an annual training event. It is carried out alternatively in India and Sri Lanka.
• Its last edition was carried out in Pune in Nov 2023.
• The exercise aims to enhance the joint military capability of India and Sri Lanka to undertake counter-insurgency operations. It will focus on operations in the semi-urban environment.

Topic: Reports and Rankings/Indices

5. IIT Madras ranked top spot in the NIRF Ranking 2024.

• The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has once again topped the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2024, marking its sixth consecutive year as the country’s leading higher educational institution.
• IGNOU ranked first in the category of open universities.
• On 12 August, the rankings were officially announced by the Ministry of Education.     
• IIT Madras' consistent performance underlines its excellence, especially in the engineering field, where it has maintained the top position for nine consecutive years.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru was ranked the best university in the country.
• In the management category, Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) located in Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta continued to dominate and remained among the top five institutions.
• Now, the NIRF, in its 9th edition, assesses institutions according to five major parameters: teaching, learning, and resources; research and professional practice; graduation outcomes; outreach and inclusivity; and perception.
• This year, three new categories were added to the framework, increasing the total categories to 16.
• Higher educational institutions are now ranked in 16 categories: overall, universities, medicine, engineering, management, law, architecture, research institutes, pharmacy, dentistry, agriculture and allied sectors, innovation, state universities, open universities and skills universities.
• A record 10,885 higher education institutions participated in NIRF 2024, reflecting its growing importance in shaping educational standards across the country.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

6. Railways and NCRTC collaborated to promote 'One India-One Ticket' initiative.

• To launch the 'One India-One Ticket' initiative, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) have collaborated.
• The aim of this collaboration is to provide a seamless travel solution, making it easier for passengers to book and travel using both Indian Railways and RRTS services.
• After booking IRCTC train e-ticket, users can now choose to book Namo Bharat Train tickets for a maximum of eight passengers per booking as an additional service.
• RRTS booking option will be displayed on the PNR confirmation page and can also be accessed from the user's train ticket booking history.
• A unique QR code will be generated for each RRTS ticket and will be easily printed on the Electronic Reservation Slip (ERS).
• The QR codes will be valid for a period of 4 days, one day before the RRTS travel date, on the travel date and two days after the travel date.
• As per the current Railway Reservation Window (ARP), tickets can be booked up to 120 days in advance.

Topic: Indian Economy

7. A growth of 4.2% has been recorded in India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) in June 2024.

• In June, India's industrial production decreased from 6.2% in May to 4.2%, as reported by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) growth rate in June 2023 was 4.0 percent.
• In October 2023, the IIP reached its previous high of 11.9%.
• In June 2024, the mining, manufacturing and electricity sectors have grown by 10.3, 2.6, and 8.6% respectively.
• As per Use-based classification, growth rates of IIP in June 2024 over June 2023 was 2.4 percent in Capital goods.
• Growth rates of IIP in June 2024 over June 2023 was 8.6 percent in consumer durables and -1.4 percent in consumer non-durables.
• In June 2024, the building and infrastructure goods saw a slight increase of 4.4%.
• In June 2024, the primary goods output grew by 6.3%.

Topic: Awards and Prizes

8. Shah Rukh Khan received lifetime achievement award at Locarno Film Festival.

• On August 10, he became the first Indian personality to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award, also called Pardo alla Carriera, or Career Leopard.
• He received the award at the 77th edition of the Locarno Film Festival.
• As part of the Locarno tribute, the festival also screened Khan's 2002 hit Devdas.
• 2024 Locarno International Film Festival is a film festival event.
• It is being held from August 7, 2024 to August 17, 2024 in Locarno, Switzerland.

Topic: Government Schemes and Initiatives

9. Cabinet approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana.

• The Union Cabinet has approved an extension of the Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana till 2028-29 to boost advanced Biofuel projects.
• The revised scheme will be implemented for five years.
• The revised Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana comprises “bolt-on” and “brownfield” projects.
• This scheme has been designed to provide financial support that benefits multiple sectors.
• It offers a stable income for farmers through the sale of agricultural residue and mitigates environmental pollution.
• Additionally, it aligns with India’s goals for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2070 and supports the Make in India initiative.
• The Pradhan Mantri JI-VAN Yojana is focused on the development of 2nd Generation (2G) ethanol from surplus biomass and agricultural waste.
• This scheme was launched in 2019 and supported the establishment of India’s first 2G ethanol plant by the Indian Oil Corporation at Panipat.

Topic: Important Days

10. World Organ Donation Day: 13 August

• World Organ Donation Day is observed on August 13th.
• It raises awareness about the critical need of organ donors and promotes donor registration.
• Every donor can save 8 lives and improve the health of over 75 more.
• This year, it will be celebrated under the slogan, “Be the Reason for Someone’s Smile Today!”.
• This theme aims to highlight the critical role that organ donation plays in saving lives.
• The first successful kidney transplant occurred in 1954.
• In India, the first successful donor heart transplant occurred in 1994.
• National Organ Donation Day is celebrated on August 3. It marks the anniversary of India’s first successful deceased donor heart transplant.
• The Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act of 1994 regulates organ donation in India.

Topic: Environment and Ecology

11. Anti-diabetic herb was discovered by researchers on Brahmayoni Hill in Gaya.

• Gymnema sylvestre, commonly known as Gudmar, has been identified among several medicinal plants at Brahmayoni hills in Gaya, Bihar by researchers.

• The findings, published in the International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (IJCRT), highlighted the potential of this herb in treating diabetes.
• To develop the anti-diabetic drug BGR-34, Gurmar has already been used by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
• The unique properties of this plant include the ability to lower blood sugar levels, attributed to gymnemic acid, which prevents the absorption of sugar in the intestines.
• Magadh University professors who conducted the study explained that gurmar also contains flavonoids and saponins, which help regulate lipid metabolism and lower cholesterol levels.
• The plant is one of the three medicinal herbs found on the Brahmayoni Hill, an area long known among traditional healers for its diverse medicinal flora.
• A study conducted by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi in 2022 further confirmed the effectiveness of BGR-34 in reducing obesity and blood sugar levels while improving metabolic function.

Topic: Personality in News

12. Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has passed away at the age of 56.

• Wojcicki, a pioneer for women in technology, stepped down as YouTube CEO in 2023 after a nine-year tenure.
• Prior to her role at YouTube, Wojcicki served as Senior Vice President for Advertising Products at Google, where she played a key role in the company's growth.
• After a spectacular 25-year tenure at the Google-owned company, Wojcicki was replaced as CEO of YouTube by Indian-American Neal Mohan in February 2023.

Topic: Agriculture and allied sectors

13. Scientists have discovered rice varieties that can reduce fertiliser use.

• Scientists have discovered natural variations in rice nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) along with associated traits and genes.     
• The Dhala Heera variety boasts both high NUE and a shorter growth duration.
• Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is a critical factor in agricultural sustainability.
• It measures grain yield or nitrogen harvested per unit of urea input.
• Poor fertiliser NUE can waste nitrogen fertilisers worth a staggering Rs 1 lakh crore annually in India.
• The study found that the NUE of the best varieties were five times as much as the least.
• The study was co-authored by Ashu Tyagi and Navjyoti Chakraborty.
• Some improvements in NUE could be done by improving fertilizer formulations, legume-based on crop-rotations and crop management practices.

Topic: MoUs /Agreements

14. India and Maldives renewed the MoU to enhance Civil Service Training.

• India and the Maldives have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance the training of Maldivian civil servants.
• The renewed MoU will be for the period from 2024 to 2029.
• It will facilitate the training of an additional 1,000 civil service officers from the Maldives.
• This initiative is based on the previous agreement signed on June 8, 2019.
• The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) of India trained 1,000 Maldivian civil servants.
• The National Centre for Good Governance has a track record of successful capacity-building initiatives in various countries.
• This renewed partnership will continue to focus on enhancing capabilities in public policy, governance, and field administration.