Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
Every year January 4 is observed as World Braille Day to raise the importance of Braille, which serves as a communication medium for blind and partially sighted people. The day was first initiated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 and January is observed as Braille Literacy month. French Educator, who innovated the Braille system Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809.

Notes:
St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) is an annual Russian business event held in St. Petersburg since 1997, under the Russian President’s auspices since 2006. It gathers 10,000+ participants from 120+ countries, including CEOs, heads of state, and ministers. The Forum aims to bridge barriers between Russia and other countries including India, attract foreign investment, and promote Russia as a business-friendly nation. SPIEF is often compared to the World Economic Forum in Davos and called Russian Davos. It was held recently.

Notes:
The city of Nashik in Maharashtra has been selected by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India to host the National Youth Festival (NYF) 2024. As per recent announcements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 5-day youth festival in Nashik on January 12, which will see participation of around 7,500 youths from across India. NYF is held every year to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on January 12. The selection of Nashik as the host gained attention as preparations are underway to organize this youth-centric national event focused on cultural programmes and competitions.

Notes:
On January 1, 2024, a nanosatellite called WESAT (Women Engineered SATellite) was launched by students of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Technology for Women (LBSITW) in Thiruvananthapuram. The satellite was launched as secondary payload aboard an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) mission, specifically the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C58/XPoSat mission. The mission’s announcement of success was made from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. WESAT is a 1.4-kg satellite designed and developed entirely by women, making it the first Indian satellite with this distinction. The purpose of WESAT is to study ultraviolet radiation and its impact. The satellite project was led by Lizy Abraham, an Assistant Professor and Principal Investigator, with technical assistance from ISRO.

Notes:
On January 1, 1948, the town of Kharsawan in present-day Jharkhand witnessed a massacre of Adivasis by the police. This happened during a protest against the merger of the princely state of Kharsawan into Odisha state. The protesters and locals had gathered there in thousands to hear a speech by Jai Prakash Singh Munda. However, he could not make it to the venue and the restive crowd was fired upon by the police, killing hundreds. The massacre is seen as reminiscent of the Jallianwala Bagh tragedy. The exact death toll remains disputed, with estimates ranging from 35 officially to a few thousand unofficially.

Notes:
Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY) was introduced by the government in April 2018 with the primary aim of providing financial assistance to tuberculosis (TB) patients for their nutritional needs. Recognizing undernutrition as a significant risk factor for TB, the scheme offers ₹500 per month as direct benefit transfer (DBT) to TB patients. This monetary support is intended to help patients purchase food and maintain a nutritious diet throughout the duration of their TB treatment. The scheme has seen a gradual increase in beneficiaries over the years, indicating its growing reach and importance in supporting TB patients’ nutritional needs.

Notes:
Doctors at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre have indigenously developed Prevall, the first chemotherapy drug in India to be available as a syrup formulation. The oral suspension of 6-mercaptopurine can precisely dose children fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Liquid forms were unavailable in developing countries earlier. Prevall effectively tackles challenges like flexibility in pediatric dosing, palatability and tolerability compared to tablets.

Notes:
The Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian is distinguished from its predecessors by its Electro-magnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). This advanced system enables the Fujian to launch a broader range of aircraft from its deck, marking a significant technological advancement over the previous carriers Shandong and Liaoning. The EMALS is noted for being more reliable and energy-efficient, and it represents a milestone in the modernization of the Chinese military. This feature places the Fujian alongside the Ford-class aircraft carriers of the US Navy, which are also equipped with the latest version of the EMALS, highlighting its significance in global naval capabilities. The development and implementation of the EMALS on the Fujian align with President Xi Jinping’s calls for increased combat-readiness and technological advances in the Chinese military.

Notes:
Three products of Arunachal Pradesh – adi kekir ginger, carpets handmade by Tibetan settlers and wooden items by the Wancho community – have received the prestigious GI tag recognizing their unique geographical roots. Adi kekir is a famed variety of ginger while Wancho artisans create sculpture figures on wooden items. The GI tag certifies specific products as originating from a particular region to boost their marketability.

Notes:
Megha Engineering & Infrastructures contributed ₹87 crore, the highest among corporates, to electoral trusts in political funding during 2022-23 followed by Serum Institute of India at ₹50.25 crore as per the ADR report. Top 10 donors comprised 90.66% of total corporate contributions received by such trusts.