Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
The Ministry of Finance released a report titled The Indian Economy: A Review in January 2024. The report was released a few days before the Union Budget for 2024-25 was presented in Parliament on February 1. The Ministry of Finance is made up of five divisions: Economic Affairs, Revenue, Expenditures, Investment and Public Asset Management, and Financial Services.

Notes:
Sports Development and Youth Welfare Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin announced the ‘Kalaignar Sports Kit’ initiative, distributing sports equipment in 12,000 village panchayats to commemorate M. Karunanidhi’s birth centenary. The scheme begins on February 7 in Tiruchi, Tamil Nadu and aims to support young athletes. Udhayanidhi emphasized the government’s commitment to promoting sports, paralleling the provision of books for education. He praised Khelo India 2023 for identifying and nurturing over 5,400 talented athletes across various disciplines, enhancing India’s international competitiveness.

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:
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:
Rajendra Prasad Gupta is the new Advocate General of Rajasthan. In India, the Advocate General is a legal advisor to the state government. The Governor of each state appoints an Advocate General who is qualified to be appointed as a Judge of a High Court.

Notes:
The government has undertaken crucial measures to safeguard the Black-Necked Crane, as revealed by the Union Minister of State for Environment. This medium-sized crane species, residing in high-altitude wetlands of the Tibetan plateau, faces threats like habitat loss due to climate change, agricultural changes, pollution, and environmental contamination. With a distribution in India, China, and Bhutan, it holds a Near Threatened status on the IUCN list and is listed in Schedule I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, and Appendix I of CITES.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government is prioritizing electric vehicle (EV) use and manufacturing through the development of the ‘EV Upyog’ portal. The Uttar Pradesh Development Systems Corporation Limited (UPDESCO) is hiring a software development agency for one year to upgrade the portal, which will include features like cloud storage, database capabilities, and specialized software. The Ministry of Electronics and IT Empanelled Service Provider will oversee the cloud server integration, emphasizing cybersecurity, cost-effectiveness, scalability, integration, API convenience, and reliability.

Notes:
Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan launched the EdCIL Vidyanjali Scholarship Programme in New Delhi. The program aims to support students who are academically gifted and meritorious but lack financial means to pursue education. The Ministry of Education, Government of India launched the Vidyanjali program in September 2021 to strengthen schools through community and private sector involvement. The program aims to increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from private sector and community.

Notes:
The Delhi government unveiled free bus rides for the transgender community, marking a significant step towards inclusive public transportation. The decision awaits Cabinet approval, with plans to promptly implement the initiative. This move aims to facilitate accessible and cost-free travel for transgender individuals on public buses in Delhi.

Notes:
The Tripura Board of Secondary Education (TBSE) permits both Roman and Bengali scripts for the Kokborok exam in Tripura. Kokborok, the mother tongue of Borok people, including Tripuris, is a Tibeto-Burman language and a lingua franca for most of Tripura’s tribal communities. Borok communities are found in Tripura, other North-Eastern States, and Uttarakhand. Kokborok holds official state language status in Tripura.