Current Affairs 2024 – Daily, Weekly, Monthly And Yearly PDF
Day of the Year
International Youth Day
- Youth Day presents an opportunity for every country to assess their investment in and commitment to youth, as well as general education (both of and to youth).
- Endorsed by the United Nations in 1999 after a recommendation was made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth, the first International Youth Day took place in the summer of 2000.
Latest Updates
Tungabhadra dam gate swept away in Karnataka, flood warning issued
- A crest gate of the Tungabhadra reservoir, near Hospete, in Vijayanagara district of Karnataka was washed away late on Saturday, raising fears of floods downstream.
- The reservoir authorities immediately issued an alert asking people not to venture into the river downstream as the outflow may increase up to 2 lakh cusecs at any time.
- As the rain receded in the catchment area, resulting in diminished inflow into the reservoir, the dam authorities on Saturday reduced the discharge to around 28,000 cusecs to maintain the full reservoir level (FRL) of 1,633 feet with a total storage of 105.788 tmcft.
News Capsule
Parties, serious crimes and the need for judicial clarity
Two recent observations from two different Benches of the Supreme Court of India in the bail petitions of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia deserve in-depth analysis. The first was the observation from the Bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna. The judge asked the government lawyer whether in a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) involving leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the party too is not involved. What is the role of the political party? Can it be made an accused party? These questions from the Bench prompted the Enforcement Directorate to make AAP too an accused party in Mr. Kejriwal’s case. It is perhaps for the first time that a political party is being made as an accused under the PMLA.
Scientists need greater funding for research, not national awards
Later this month, 33 scientists will be awarded the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar (RVP), the current government’s revamped approach to independent India’s long tradition of annually awarding scientists with promise. The rejig is in doing away with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (SSB) awards, once awarded to scientists under 45 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It comprised a certificate, a cash prize and some additional monetary benefits. The RVP replaces it with a medal and a certificate and, renaming it the Vigyan Yuva-SSB. There are also other RVP awards — the Vigyan Shri, Vigyan Ratna and Vigyan Team awards. The latter will be for scientists over 45 who have made distinguished contributions in science and technology over their entire career as well, as for teams of scientists and technologists with exceptional contributions.
Biotechnologists detect difference in use of nitrogen by rice varieties
- Biotechnologists at Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (GGU) in New Delhi have discovered a wide variation among popular varieties of rice in India in their ability to use nitrogen. This knowledge can be used to develop newer varieties that use less nitrogen and are high-yielding, thus slashing expenditure on imported fertilizers and reducing nitrogen-linked pollution.
- “Cereals consume two-thirds of all urea in India, led by rice. Poor nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE) wastes N (nitrogen)-fertilizers worth ₹1 trillion a year in India and over $170 billion per year globally,” N. Raghuram, Professor at GGU and lead author of the paper, said, reporting these findings.
