Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Shumang Leela, a traditional Manipuri theatre form, faces challenges due to ethnic violence, impacting its artists and jeopardizing the state’s cultural richness. Originating as a comic genre for royalty, it has evolved into a powerful medium for mass education and entertainment. In this unique theatre, male actors portray female roles (Nupi Shabis), and transgender actors take on female characters. The plays aim to educate the public on social, political, and economic issues, with two types – Nupa Shumang Leela (performed only by men) and Nupi Shumang Leela (performed only by women).

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The Government of Tamil Nadu introduces the Ungalai Thedi Ungal Ooril Scheme 2024, offering citizens monthly access to state government schemes and scholarships. This initiative aims to review project performance, inspect infrastructure, and address public concerns, ensuring effective implementation of government programs.

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The US government recently shut down China-backed hacking group “Volt Typhoon,” active since at least 2021. Specializing in espionage and targeting critical infrastructure, Volt Typhoon utilized stealth, living-off-the-land techniques, and preinstalled utilities. The group compromised small office/home office devices, maintaining persistence with stolen credentials. Known for routing traffic through hacked network equipment, such as home routers, Volt Typhoon made detection challenging.

Notes:
Operation Black Gold is about the seizure of an alloy containing 16.67 kg of gold and 39.73 kg of silver in Delhi. The alloy was worth over Rs 10 crore and was seized by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) at FPO Delhi. The Revenue Intelligence Directorate (DRI) acted on intelligence to seize seven shipments of “electrical current/potential meters”. The meters were declared as “current guior machines”. According to preliminary investigations, a systematic syndicate was involved in the gold smuggling. The gold was coated with silver to change its color from yellow to white. The white mixture was then used to make electric meter covers, which were then painted black to avoid suspicion.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has imposed restrictions on Paytm Payments Bank (PPBL). The restrictions will come into effect on February 29, 2024. The RBI has ordered PPBL to stop accepting fresh deposits in its accounts or wallets after February 29, 2024. The RBI has also ordered PPBL to halt deposits and credit transactions after February 29, 2024. Customers will face restrictions on deposits, credit transactions, and top-ups. Certain services, including fund transfers and UPI facilities, will be discontinued. The RBI’s action against PPBL follows a comprehensive system audit report and subsequent compliance validation report of external auditors.

Notes:
The budget allocation for Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 in 2023-24 is ₹25,449 crore, which is a 6%, increase from the revised estimates of ₹23,913 crore for 2022-23. In 2024, the budget estimate is ₹20,554 crore, which is 1.4% higher than the revised allocation of ₹20,263 crore for 2023. Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 is a part of the Mission Poshan 2.0, which was launched in February 2021 by Finance Minister. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is responsible for implementing this scheme.

Notes:
Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, highlighted farmer’s welfare and rural demand in the interim budget 2024-25. The budget emphasizes achieving ‘atmanirbharta’ in oil seeds, outlining strategies like research for high-yielding varieties, modern farming techniques adoption, market linkages, procurement, value addition, and crop insurance for mustard, groundnut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower.

Notes:
Researchers recently uncovered a new genus and five novel millipede species in African jungles. Millipedes, not insects but arthropods related to lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp, boast approximately 12,000 global species. These cylindrical or slightly flattened invertebrates, often black or brown, inhabit moist areas with decaying vegetation. Ranging from 2 to 280 mm, they possess multiple segments, each housing two pairs of legs and internal organs. Although not poisonous, some species produce irritating fluids. Nocturnal scavengers, millipedes primarily feed on decaying plants and occasional dead insects.

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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.

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The GRAPES-3 experiment, situated in Ooty, India and operated by the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, made a significant discovery in the cosmic-ray proton spectrum, revealing a new feature at 166 TeV. Equipped with air shower detectors and a large muon detector, GRAPES-3 aims to investigate the origin, acceleration, and propagation of cosmic rays, including the existence of the “Knee” in their energy spectrum. It also explores the production of highest-energy cosmic rays, astronomy of multi-TeV γ-rays, and the impact of the Sun on Earth.