Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Radha Raturi, a senior IAS officer of the 1988 batch, has been appointed as the first woman chief secretary of Uttarakhand. She replaces Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and is the first woman to hold this top administrative post in the state. Raturi has an extensive administrative career, having served in undivided Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Initially aspiring to be a journalist, she eventually joined the IAS, succeeding in her third attempt at the UPSC exam.

Notes:
Neuralink is the first company to implant a computer chip in a human brain. Neuralink is a neurotechnology company founded in 2016 by Musk and seven other scientists and engineers. The company’s implant, known as the “Link,” is a small device that’s surgically placed inside the human brain. Neuralink says its device can interpret neural activity so a person can operate a computer or smartphone by simply thinking. The company ultimately hopes to use the brain-machine interface to restore sensory and motor functions in people with disabilities, treat neurological conditions like dementia and depression, and even enable telepathic communication.

Notes:
Five countries officially joined the BRICS group: Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, and Ethiopia. The countries were invited to join the group in August 2023, after the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa. Argentina was also invited but backed out at the end of December. BRICS is an acronym for the emerging national economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The term was originally coined in 2001 as “BRIC” by the Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill.

Notes:
The 37th Surajkund International Crafts Mela 2024 will feature Gujarat as the theme state. The fair will take place from February 2–18, 2024 in Surajkund, Faridabad. The fair complex, including decorations and stalls, will reflect the rich heritage of Gujarati culture. The event will also feature artists and cultural groups from 20 Indian states and multiple countries. The Surajkund Mela is organized annually by the Haryana Tourism Department. The town of Surajkund is known for its picturesque surroundings and is easily accessible from Delhi and other major cities in the region.

Notes:
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the ‘Ministry of Education – AICTE Investor Network,’ a collaborative effort by AICTE and the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell. The initiative aims to boost innovation and entrepreneurship in education by offering financial support, mentoring, and strategic guidance to early-stage student or faculty-led startups. Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the network seeks to encourage private investment, empower educational institutions as innovation hubs, and foster a better environment for startup development.

Notes:
France became the first country in the European Union (EU) to issue digital Schengen visas. The visas are for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Paralympics, and will be integrated into accreditation cards for approximately 70,000 international visitors. The country plans to fully digitize its Schengen visa application process by 2026.

Notes:
The flightless Aldabra rail, scientifically known as Dryolimnas cuvieri aldabranus, was thought extinct 130,000 years ago but reappeared through iterative evolution. Residing on a coral atoll off Africa’s southeast coast, it resembles a chicken with a gray back, red head, and white throat. A subspecies of the white-throated rail, it’s the only flightless bird in the Indian Ocean. The Aldabra rail evolved twice, losing its ability to fly, a phenomenon explored in a 2019 Zoological Journal study on the atoll’s fossil record. Iterative evolution involves the repeated emergence of traits from the same ancestral lineage at different times.

Notes:
Sculptures made from the invasive lantana camara plant recently gained attention at a Bengaluru exhibition. Native to the American tropics, it was introduced to India during the colonial period. Despite its adaptability to climate changes, lantana camara is among the world’s top ten invasive species, causing significant concern in India. The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats is heavily impacted by its invasion, making it one of the largest affected areas.

Notes:
The Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar (MGMD) program, initiated by the Ministry of Culture, aims to culturally map India’s 6.5 lakh villages, encompassing 29 States and 7 Union Territories. Launched on July 27, 2023, under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping, it compiles information on seven categories, from arts and crafts to historical and ecological aspects. The virtual platform enables people to explore India’s rich cultural heritage, fostering appreciation, economic growth, social harmony, and artistic development in rural communities.

Notes:
Sunil Kumar won the 87 kg Greco-Roman title at the 2024 National Wrestling Championships, which took place in Jaipur, Rajasthan on February 4, 2024. Kumar, an Asian Games bronze medalist, beat Manoj Kumar 9-1 to win the title.