Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Eravikulam National Park (ENP), in Kerala’s Idukki district, closing for the Nilgiri tahr’s calving season, hosts diverse flora and fauna. Declared a National Park in 1978, it spans 97 sq.km, featuring Anamudi, the highest peak south of the Himalayas. Famous for the “Neelakurinji” flower blooming every twelve years, the park experiences heavy monsoons. Rich in biodiversity, it houses species like Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Sloth Bear, and hosts rare butterflies and the world’s largest moth, the Atlas moth.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu’s Republic Day Parade 2024 featured the Kudavolai System, an ancient electoral method dating back to the 10th century Chola era. Documented in Uthiramerur inscriptions, it was employed to elect village administration representatives. The system involved dividing villages into wards, with residents choosing their representatives through a unique process: contestants’ names on palm leaf tickets (volai) placed in a pot (kuda), and a boy selecting tickets to declare elected leaders. Tamil Nadu’s tableau showcasing this historical system earned the third-best award.

Notes:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman revealed the swift implementation of the U-WIN platform in the Union interim Budget 2024-2025 to streamline immunization management nationwide. The U-WIN portal is integral to digitizing India’s Universal Immunization Programme, currently undergoing pilot testing in two districts of every state and union territory, marking a significant step toward enhancing healthcare accessibility and efficiency.

Notes:
The theme for World Wetlands Day 2024 is “Wetlands and Human Wellbeing”. The theme highlights how wetlands and human life are interconnected, and how people gain sustenance, inspiration, and resilience from wetlands. World Wetlands Day is celebrated on February 2nd each year. It’s an international day that promotes the sustainable management and conservation of wetlands.

Notes:
Uttarakhand’s Cabinet, under Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, has approved the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) bill—a historic decision. Based on committee recommendations, the bill aims to standardize civil laws, transcending religious affiliations. The proposed measures include banning polygamy and child marriage, establishing a common marriageable age, and enforcing uniform grounds and procedures for divorce, promoting legal standardization.

Notes:
Exercise Vayu Shakti-24 will be held on February 17, 2024 at the Pokhran Air to Ground Range, near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. The exercise will demonstrate the Indian Air Force’s offensive and defensive capabilities. The exercise will involve over 100 aircraft, including fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, mid-air refuellers, airborne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft, and unmanned systems. The fighter planes will target and destroy simulated enemy sites with missiles, precision-guided munitions, bombs, and rockets.

Notes:
At the “Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024,” three indigenous technologies – Thermal camera, CMOS camera, and Fleet Management System – developed by CDAC Thiruvananthapuram under the InTranSE Program of MeitY were transferred to 12 industries. The InTranSE initiative, led by the Ministry of Electronics & IT, collaborates with academic institutes and R&D centers to transform Intelligent Transportation Systems. The program aims to enhance traffic efficiency, optimize infrastructure usage, provide advance traffic information, reduce travel time, and improve the safety and comfort of commuters.

Notes:
The rare Dusted Apollo butterfly (Parnassius stenosemus) was recently spotted and photographed for the first time in Himachal Pradesh, extending its known distribution from Ladakh to West Nepal. Resembling Ladakh Banded Apollo, it distinguishes with a complete discal band on the upper forewing. The sighting of the protected Regal Apollo (Parnassius charltonius) also occurred, highlighting the rich diversity of Apollo butterflies in the region. Urgent conservation is needed as Apollos face commercial poaching threats, emphasizing the importance of community awareness and establishing conservation measures like butterfly parks.

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:
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated the two-day ULLAS Mela at the National Bal Bhavan in New Delhi. Organized by the Department of School Education and Literacy, the event showcases national and state-level activities under the ULLAS-Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram. With 700 participants and 100 dignitaries, the government’s New India Literacy Program, spanning 2022 to 2027, targets individuals aged 15 and above for foundational literacy, numeracy, life skills, and vocational development, emphasizing “Jan-Jan Sakshar” for Understanding of Lifelong Learning for All in Society.