This is the current affairs of 15 & 16 November 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
PDF Download: Click here
1. Scientists found the world’s largest coral in the sea near which country?
a. Solomon Islands
b. Dominica
c. St. Lucia
d. Barbados
Answer: a. Solomon Islands
– Coral (reef or coral polyps) is an organism that forms reefs in the sea and serves as a home to thousands of species.
– Scientists have discovered the largest coral ever found in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It is even larger than a blue whale.
– It was discovered by a videographer working on a National Geographic ship who was exploring remote areas of the Pacific Ocean to observe the effects of climate change.
– Videographer Manu San Felix stated, “I went diving at a location where a shipwreck was marked on the map, and that’s when I noticed something.”
– This unique structure has been developing for approximately 300 years and is a “complex network” of small coral polyps.
– It measures 34 meters wide (111 feet) and 32 meters long (104 feet).
– This coral was found in deeper waters compared to other corals, which may have protected it from the high temperatures at the ocean’s surface.
– In fact, due to climate change and the warming of oceans, corals globally are under severe stress.
Solomon Islands
– Capital: Honiara
– Prime Minister: Jeremiah Manele
– Currency: Solomon Islands Dollar
– Population: 734,000
—————
2. In which city will the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Conference be held in January 2025?
a. Patna
b. Lucknow
c. Mumbai
d. Bhubaneswar
Answer: d. Bhubaneswar
Theme
– Diaspora’s Contribution to a Viksit Bharat
18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention
– When and where: January 8–10, 2025, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
– This event is being organized by the Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Odisha.
– The convention will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
– President Droupadi Murmu will present the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards and preside over the closing session.
– The event’s website was launched in November 2024 by Dr. S. Jaishankar (External Affairs Minister) and Mohan Charan Majhi (Odisha Chief Minister).
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas
– It is celebrated on January 9, as it marks the day Mahatma Gandhi returned to India from South Africa.
– Pravasi Bharatiya Divas began in 2003.
– Since 2015, it has been organized once every two years.
————–
3. What was India’s wholesale inflation rate in October 2024?
a. 0.27%
b. 1.84%
c. 2.4%
d. 3.27%
Answer: c. 2.4%
Wholesale Price Index (WPI)-Based Inflation
– In India, wholesale price index-based inflation increased from 1.84% in September to 2.4% in October.
Who released the report on wholesale inflation?
– Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
– It functions under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
(Note: Retail inflation is released by NSO.)
What is wholesale inflation?
– This inflation is based on the Wholesale Price Index (WPI).
– Wholesale Price Index (WPI) refers to the prices charged by one business to another in the wholesale market.
– These prices are associated with wholesale transactions.
(Note: Retail inflation is determined by the Consumer Price Index, or CPI.)
Why did wholesale inflation increase?
– The Ministry of Commerce and Industry cited the increase in prices of food items, manufactured food products, other manufactured goods, machinery and equipment, motor vehicles, trailers, and semi-trailers as the reason for the rise in wholesale price inflation.
Commerce and Industry Minister: Piyush Goyal
————–
4. In which city, Phase-III of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was implemented due to serious condition of air pollution?
a. Mumbai
b. Delhi
c. Bengaluru
d. Patna
Answer: b. Delhi
Central Government Implements GRAP Phase-III in Delhi
– The central government has enforced Phase-III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi.
– Under this, buses from neighboring states (except electric, CNG, and BS-VI diesel buses) are prohibited from entering Delhi.
– Delhi and other states can decide to close physical classes for children up to Grade 5 and shift to online teaching.
– The central agency has directed the Delhi government to ban BS-III vehicles registered outside the city, except for vehicles carrying essential goods or providing essential services.
– Pollution-causing four-wheelers have been banned in Delhi and neighboring NCR districts such as Gurugram, Faridabad, Ghaziabad, and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Air Pollution Situation in Delhi
– According to IQAir (a Swiss air quality technology company), as of the morning of November 14, 2024, Delhi was the world’s second most polluted major city.
– Poor weather prompted the implementation of low-visibility procedures for flight operations at Delhi Airport on Thursday morning.
– With the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon and the onset of winter, Delhi’s air quality has begun to decline.
– On the morning of November 14, 2024, Delhi’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 428 (PM 2.5 level), categorized as ‘Severe’.
– Forecasts suggest that it may deteriorate further in the coming days.
– A clear pattern shows that the decline in air quality coincides with stubble burning in Punjab.
What is the Role of Stubble Burning in Air Pollution?
– Stubble burning is a traditional practice by farmers to clear leftover paddy stalks after harvest.
– Particularly in Punjab and Haryana, farmers have a short window in October and November to clear fields and sow wheat for winter.
– The environmental impact of stubble burning has been known since the 1990s.
– Rising labor costs, caused by the use of mechanized tools like combine harvesters, make it expensive for farmers to collect scattered stalks.
– With low farm incomes, farmers resort to burning stubble.
– A strong correlation exists between the wind direction from Punjab and pollution levels in Delhi.
Is Stubble Burning the Only Cause of Delhi’s Pollution?
– Nearly 55% of Delhi’s pollution originates outside its regional boundaries.
– The India Meteorological Department (IMD) designates December, January, and February as winter months when atmospheric conditions trap pollutants and prevent their dispersion.
– Even during periods when stubble burning ceases almost entirely, data from 2016-23 indicates that Delhi’s AQI consistently remains in the ‘Very Poor’ and ‘Severe’ (400+) categories.
– This highlights that other sources significantly contribute to air pollution in addition to stubble burning.
————–
5. Which Indian Armed Force will conduct the exercise ‘Sea Vigil-24’?
a. Army
b. Navy
c. Air Force
d. None of these
Answer: b. Navy
– The event will take place from November 20 to 21.
– The event will be held in the entire coastal area and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
– It will involve six government ministries, 21 organizations, and various defense agencies.
– State maritime police, coast guards, customs, fisheries, and other key agencies will participate in the exercise alongside the military.
– The Indian Army and the Indian Air Force will also provide major support by deploying several ships and aircraft to strengthen the exercise.
– The objective is to enhance India’s coastal security capabilities.
————–
6. When is Tribal Pride Day celebrated?
a. 13 November
b. 14 November
c. 15 November
d. 16 November
Answer: c. 15 November
– Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary is celebrated as ‘Tribal Pride Day.’
– It was first celebrated in 2021.
– Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary is on November 15.
– In the tribal areas of Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, Birsa Munda is worshipped like a god.
About Birsa Munda:
– Birsa Munda was born on November 15, 1875, in Ulihatu village (Jharkhand).
– Munda is a tribal group.
– In 1894, Birsa Munda united all the Mundas and led a movement to demand the cancellation of taxes from the British.
– In 1895, the British government arrested Birsa Munda on charges of working against the British government.
– He was sentenced to 2 years in prison.
– Due to his dedication to the people, the tribal people began calling him “Dharti Aba” (Father of the Earth).
– Between 1897 and 1900, there were continuous battles between the Mundas and British soldiers.
– Birsa and his supporters had made life difficult for the British.
– In August 1897, Birsa and his 400 soldiers attacked the Khunti police station with bows and arrows.
– In 1898, a battle took place between the Mundas and the British army on the banks of the Tanga River, where initially the British army was defeated.
– However, later many tribal leaders from that area were arrested.
– In January 1900, another conflict occurred on Dombri Hill, in which many women and children were killed.
– Birsa Munda was arrested by the British on February 3, 1900, from the Jamkopai forest.
– Birsa Munda died in British custody on June 9, 1900.
————–
7. Where was the Indian International Trade Fair 2024 held in Delhi?
a. Bharat Mandapam
b. Red Fort
c. Rohini Maidan
d. Pragati Maidan
Answer: d. Pragati Maidan
Theme:
Vocal for Local, Local to Global
– Duration of the event: From November 14 to 27, 2024
– Major participants: 11 foreign countries (including Egypt, Iran, South Korea, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Tunisia, and others)
– Partner states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh
– Focus state: Jharkhand
—————
8. The Union Home Ministry has banned which state’s militant group Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) for five years?
a. Meghalaya
b. Manipur
c. Tamil Nadu
d. Nagaland
Answer: a. Meghalaya
– The Ministry of Home Affairs has cited involvement in violent incidents and activities harmful to the sovereignty and integrity of India as the reason for this action.
– As a result, the HNLC has been declared a “unlawful organization” for the next five years.
– It was last banned in 2019 and had demanded the withdrawal of the order to continue talks.
– In fact, earlier this year, the group withdrew from peace talks with the central government.
– This decision has been made under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
– The notification states, “HNLC, along with all its factions, branches, and leading organizations in Meghalaya, has been involved in activities harmful to India’s sovereignty and integrity.”
– The central government believes that the HNLC has declared its intention to separate those areas of Meghalaya predominantly inhabited by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes, and it continues to intimidate the civilian population to raise funds for its organization.
Meghalaya:
– Chief Minister: Conrad Sangma
– Governor: C.H. Vijayashankar
– Capital: Shillong
————–
9. Which Caribbean American country announced to give its highest national award to PM Modi?
a. Saint Lucia
b. Barbados
c. Dominica
d. Grenada
Answer: c. Dominica
– Dominica has announced that it will award India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi with its highest national honor, The Dominica Award of Honor.
– Prime Minister Modi will receive this highest honor from the President of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, during the India-CARICOM summit, which will take place in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, from November 19 to 21.
Reason for Choosing for the Award:
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi had provided 70,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.
Dominica:
– Capital: Roseau
– President: Sylvanie Burton
– Prime Minister: Roosevelt Skerrit
– Currency: East Caribbean Dollar
– Area: 750 square kilometers (equivalent to half the size of Delhi)
– Population: 72,000
– Seas: Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean
————–
10. Who was selected for the ‘Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award’ at the 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)?
a. Phillip Noyce
b. Rajkumar Hirani
c. Christopher Nolan
d. Stanley Kubrick
Answer: a. Phillip Noyce (Australian director)
55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
– Location: Goa
– Dates: November 20 to 28, 2024
– Organizers: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), and Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG)
– Theme: “Young Filmmakers” – The Future is Now
– Focus Country: Australia
PDF Download: Click here
