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:
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 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:
Banaras Hindu University (BHU) inaugurates North India’s first human DNA bank, equipped with an Automated DNA Extractor Machine developed indigenously under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. Installed at the Gnyaneshwar Lab in the Zoology Department on January 30, 2024, the machine minimizes plastic usage, ensuring environmental sustainability. It efficiently extracts DNA from various biological materials, accommodating 32 samples in 30 minutes. The initiative stemmed from a three-day conference on Personalized Medicine held in March 2023, where BHU expressed readiness to establish a genome bank inspired by Estonia.

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:
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:
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:
The theme for the 2024 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is “Her Voice, Her Future”. The theme highlights the important role of community-led initiatives in achieving lasting change. The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM is an annual awareness day sponsored by the United Nations that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate FGM. It was first introduced in 2003.

Notes:
The Geological Institute of Israel discovered an unknown underwater canyon near Cyprus dating back to the Messinian Event, also known as the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC). Lasting from approximately 6 to 5.3 million years ago, MSC occurred when the connection between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea was cut off, leading to a severe drying up of the Mediterranean. The resulting large canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, formed as water evaporated, leaving behind salt deposits and causing a deadly increase in salinity. The MSC concluded with the Zanclean flood, restoring the connection with the Atlantic.

Notes:
In the inaugural tri-State synchronized vulture survey, 320 vultures were tallied across seven protected areas in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. The Himalayan griffon, an Old World vulture from the Accipitridae family, was exclusively reported in Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. Being among the largest Old World vultures and true raptors, these monogamous, diurnal birds exhibit a solitary nature. Their distribution spans the Himalayas, Tibetan region, and Central Asian Mountains, with a conservation status of “Near Threatened” by IUCN.