Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

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:
Candida auris, a deadly multidrug-resistant fungus, poses a global health threat by causing invasive infections, particularly in individuals with weakened immune systems. Discovered in Japan in 2009, it has rapidly spread worldwide. Primarily contracted in healthcare settings, it can colonize the skin without symptoms or cause severe infections by entering the bloodstream. The fungus spreads through contact with contaminated surfaces or infected individuals, emphasizing its potential for rapid transmission in hospitals and nursing homes.

Notes:
At the “Digital India FutureLABS Summit 2024” at IIIT-Delhi, CDAC Thiruvananthapuram transferred three Indigenous Technologies—Thermal Camera, CMOS Camera, and Fleet Management System—to 12 industries under the InTranSE Program of MeitY. This aligns with the Innovation, Science, and Technology theme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Vikshit Bharat @2047 initiative. The Thermal Camera, with AI-based analytics, is intended for applications in Smart cities, Industries, Defence, Health, and more, after successful field testing for Road traffic applications.

Notes:
Namibia’s President, Hage Geingob, has died at 82 following cancer treatment. The first prime minister post-independence, he became Namibia’s third president in 2014, securing re-election in 2019. Geingob, a key figure since independence from South Africa, held the record for Namibia’s longest-serving prime minister before assuming the presidency. His passing marks the end of a significant era in Namibian political history.

Notes:
Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur inaugurated the 1st BIMSTEC Aquatics Championships 2024 in New Delhi, marking the first-time hosting of the event. He emphasized the collaboration of seven BIMSTEC countries, transforming the Bay of Bengal into a hub for progress and development. The four-day competition features swimming, water polo, and diving events for Under-20 athletes, with 39 medals and nine trophies at stake.

Notes:
Australian researchers recently developed a solution for a lupus defect. Lupus, an autoimmune disease, prompts the immune system to harm organs and tissues, causing inflammation in skin, joints, blood, and vital organs like kidneys and heart. Its origin is unknown, believed to result from a blend of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors. Lupus predominantly affects women. Variants include Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Discoid lupus, Subacute cutaneous lupus, Drug-induced lupus, and rare Neonatal lupus linked to maternal antibodies in newborns.

Notes:
The Deenbandhu Chhotu Ram Thermal Power Plant, an 800 MW unit in Yamunanagar, Haryana, is set to be completed in 57 months. A Rs 6900 crore tender was awarded to Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited by Chief Minister Manohar Lal in a High Power Workers Purchase Committee meeting. The plant’s ultra-supercritical unit will increase capacity by 8%, reducing coal consumption and electricity costs. Aligned with ‘Make in India,’ it employs indigenous technology, ensuring uninterrupted power supply and featuring advanced, smaller-sized components for faster, eco-friendly electricity generation.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-K) has unveiled ‘Jigarthanda,’ India’s first Hypervelocity Expansion Tunnel Test Facility. The 24-meter-long S2 facility, developed over three years, is located at IIT Kanpur’s Hypersonic Experimental Aerodynamics Laboratory. Funded by ARDB, DST, and IIT Kanpur, it can simulate hypersonic conditions with flight speeds between 3-10 km/s. ‘Jigarthanda’ will play a crucial role in advancing aerospace technologies, supporting missions like Gaganyaan, Reusable Launch Vehicles, and hypersonic cruise missiles for ISRO and DRDO.

Notes:
Noida has been honored as a “water warrior” city by the Union water ministry for outstanding efforts in wastewater treatment and reuse. The city boasts eight sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a total capacity of 411 MLD (million litres daily), treating 260 MLD of sewage. Notably, 70-75 MLD is repurposed for irrigation, construction, firefighting, pond maintenance, and road sprinkling. Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat presented the awards in Delhi.

Notes:
The theme for National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day in 2024 is “Engage, Educate, Empower: Uniting to End HIV/AIDS in Black Communities”. National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is an opportunity to increase HIV education, increase testing, increase community involvement, increase treatment, promote HIV testing, prevention, and treatment and stop HIV stigma.