Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Maharashtra government for the development of green hydrogen and renewable energy. The MoU includes the development of green hydrogen and its derivatives, such as green ammonia and green methanol, with a capacity of up to 1 million tons per year. The MoU also includes the development of renewable energy projects and pumped storage projects of 2 GW.

Notes:
Scientists recently discovered a new kangaroo lizard species, Agasthyagama edge, in the Western Ghats. Named after the EDGE program, it’s the second in the Agasthyagama genus. Found in Kulamavu, Idukki, it belongs to the Agamidae family. These terrestrial reptiles, lacking a fifth toe for climbing, prefer leaf-covered areas. Averaging 4.3 cm in length, they are fast runners feeding on small insects, and they hide within dry leaves to avoid predators. The species is significant for its distinctiveness and global endangerment.

Notes:
The mascot for the 2024 Khelo India Winter Games is the snow leopard, named “Sheen-e She” or “Shan” in the Ladakh region. The mascot was chosen to reflect the region’s biodiversity and tradition. The games will be held in Ladakh from February 2–6, and in Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir from February 21–25. The mascot symbolizes the spirit of the games and highlights the need to conserve this endangered species.

Notes:
The Economics of the Food System Transformation report is a global policy report from the Food System Economics Commission (FSEC). The report estimates that transforming the global food system could create economic benefits of 5–10 trillion USD per year. The report also states that the policies and implementation to achieve these transformations would cost only 0.2–0.4% of global GDP. The report discusses the unsustainable trajectory of the global food system and the potential economic benefits of a transformation. It also states that transforming food systems worldwide could help address global climate, nature, and health emergencies.

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.

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The Union Minister for Women and Child Development announced the establishment of One Stop Centres (OSCs) in over 700 districts nationwide, under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The initiative aims to offer comprehensive support for women facing violence, providing immediate access to medical, legal, psychological, and counseling services. The target group includes all women, including girls under 18, without discrimination. The funding comes from the Nirbhaya Fund, with 100% financial assistance from the Central Government. District Collectors/Magistrates oversee day-to-day implementation.

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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.

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The endangered Forest Owlet, Athene blewitti, was recently sighted three times in the Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra. Initially described in 1873, it was considered extinct after 1884 but rediscovered in 1997. Endemic to central India, it’s observed in various states. Inhabiting diverse ecosystems, it’s small, stocky, with distinctive features. Diurnal and hunting during the day, it preys on rodents, reptiles, and insects. With an IUCN Red List status of Endangered and CITES Appendix I, conservation efforts are crucial.

Notes:
A potent atmospheric river storm approached at Southern California, posing a severe threat of life-threatening floods and landslides. Atmospheric rivers, responsible for 90% of moisture movement from tropics to poles, act as Earth’s largest freshwater transport. Formed by aligned weather patterns, they include well-known ones like the Pineapple Express. The impending storm highlights the risks posed by these intense moisture channels.

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.