Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Alzheimer’s disease is a prevalent brain condition, responsible for 60-80% of dementia cases, affecting memory, thinking, and daily activities. Recent studies suggest rare medical accidents can transmit the disease between humans. Typically impacting those aged 65 and older, with unknown exact causes, it involves genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. Symptoms range from forgetting recent events to serious memory loss, and while there’s no cure, certain medications and therapies can temporarily manage the symptoms.

Notes:
Astronaut Lora O’Hara on the International Space Station captured Alpenglow near the Hindu Kush. This natural phenomenon occurs during sunrise or sunset, casting rosy, reddish, or orange hues on mountain slopes. Alpenglow’s colors vary due to the sun’s angle and atmospheric conditions. Vibrancy depends on sun location, light angle, clouds, humidity, and particulates. The phenomenon rapid changes make it a captivating spectacle during the twilight hours.

Notes:
Maharashtra topped the medal tally at the 2023 Khelo India Youth Games with 158 medals. The host state, Tamil Nadu, finished second with 98 medals. Haryana came in third. Maharashtra’s medal count included 57 gold, 48 silver, and 53 bronze medals. Tamil Nadu’s medal count included 38 gold, 21 silver, and 39 bronze medals.

Notes:
China has imposed a ban on the import of ruminants and related products from Iraq due to a bluetongue disease outbreak. Bluetongue is a non-contagious viral disease affecting domestic and wild ruminants, transmitted by insects’ particularly biting species of Culicoides midges. The virus belongs to the Reoviridae family with 24 identified serotypes. Symptoms vary, but sheep are most severely affected. The disease is globally distributed in regions where the insect vector thrives, posing a threat to various species with transmission facilitated by the infected vector.

Notes:
The 2024-25 government budget is projected at Rs 47, 65,768 crore (47.66 lakh crore), indicating a 6% rise from the revised 2023-24 estimate. Anticipated growth includes a 3.2% increase in revenue expenditure and a significant 16.9% surge in capital expenditure, reflecting fiscal priorities and economic strategies for the upcoming year.

Notes:
A record number of manatees recently gathered at a Florida state park. Manatees, often called “sea cows,” are large aquatic mammals belonging to the Sirenia group, which also includes dugongs. While they share similarities in appearance and behavior, the key difference lies in their tails – manatees have paddle-shaped tails, while dugongs have fluked tails, resembling whales. Manatees inhabit shallow coastal areas and rivers, with three species identified: Amazonian, African, and Caribbean manatees. They are listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species

Notes:
The GHAR (Go Home and Re-Unite) Portal, developed by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), facilitates the digital monitoring and repatriation of children under the Juvenile Justice Act. It expedites repatriation by tracking cases, transferring them to relevant authorities, and facilitating communication with State Governments for translators or experts. Child Welfare Committees use the portal’s checklist to identify children in need, linking them to government schemes for family strengthening during restoration.

Notes:
The Indian Navy commissioned its latest survey vessel, INS Sandhayak, in Vizag, the first in a series of four Survey Vessels (Large). Constructed at GRSE, Kolkata, its primary purpose is hydrographic surveys for port approaches and navigational routes. The vessel covers the Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf, gathering oceanographic data. With limited defence capabilities, it can serve as a hospital ship. Equipped with advanced tools, INS Sandhayak, measuring 110m, displacing 3400 tons, and powered by two diesel engines, emphasizes indigenous content and multifunctional capabilities.

Notes:
Astro Sat, India’s inaugural multi-wavelength astronomy mission, successfully measured the X-ray polarization of the Cygnus X-1 black hole system. Discovered four decades ago, Cygnus X-1 is among the first confirmed black hole systems in our galaxy. The black hole is 20 times the Sun’s mass, with a companion supergiant star (40 times more massive) in a binary system. Located 400 times farther than Earth-Sun distance, the gravitational pull forms an accretion disk, generating soft X-rays.

Notes:
PM Modi inaugurated the 2024 Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) – Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC) at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event brought together legal representatives from Commonwealth nations across Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean. With the theme “Cross-Border Challenges in Justice Delivery,” the conference addressed crucial topics such as judicial transition, ethical aspects of legal practice, executive accountability, and the reformulation of contemporary legal education. Stakeholders engaged in meaningful discussions on these issues, fostering collaboration in the Commonwealth legal fraternity.