Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Former Indian cricket captain Dattajiro Krishnarao Gaekwad, aged 95, passed away, making him the oldest living Indian cricketer before his demise. Gaekwad led the Baroda cricket team to victory in the Ranji Trophy during the 1957–58, leaving a significant mark on the sport.

Notes:
The Hastsal Minar, located in a small village in western Delhi, was completed in 1634 during Shah Jahan’s reign. Also known as Mini Qutab Minar, it’s constructed with lakhori bricks and red sandstone, standing 17 meters tall with five storeys. Used by Shah Jahan as a hunting lodge, it gained Grade A heritage value in 2018, under Delhi government’s Phase IV project for monument conservation. Despite not being a UNESCO World Heritage site, preservation efforts are underway.

Notes:
The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has released the CRISIL study report, “Prabhaav,” evaluating the impact of the Fund of Funds for Start-ups (FFS) under the Start-up India Action Plan. Managed by SIDBI for DPIIT, FFS has facilitated investments and aided start-ups in deep tech, agri-tech, health tech, and financial services. The Ministry of Finance and DPIIT officials praised SIDBI’s effective scheme management and positive outcomes, as revealed in the report.

Notes:
The Social Justice & Empowerment Ministry, in collaboration with Brahma Kumaris, unveiled the NMBA Vehicle in Delhi-NCR on Feb 14, aimed at raising drug abuse awareness. Part of the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, the initiative focuses on educating youth about substance abuse’s harmful effects. The mobile platform facilitates NMBA awareness activities, extending the campaign’s reach and impact throughout Delhi-NCR.

Notes:
The first-ever Digital India FutureSkills Summit was held in Guwahati, Assam on February 15, 2024. The summit was organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) through the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT). The summit is a platform for discussions, insights, and collaborations to promote digital literacy in line with the needs of the new-age industry. The summit will feature more than 20 strategic collaborations, 1,000 attendees, and 30 exhibitions.

Notes:
The United World Wrestling (UWW) lifted the suspension on the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI). The WFI was placed under a provisional suspension on August 23, 2023, after failing to hold an election within a reasonable time frame. The suspension lift means that Indian wrestlers can now compete in upcoming tournaments under their country’s flag.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the 300 MW Barsingsar Solar Power Plant in Rajasthan’s Bikaner district, advancing India’s renewable energy goals. NLC India Limited, a Navratna CPSE, is implementing the project under the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s CPSE Scheme. The initiative, aligned with the Atma Nirbhar Bharat initiative, uses cutting-edge technology, aims to produce 750 million units of green power annually, and marks NLCIL as the first CPSE to achieve a 1 GW Solar capacity milestone in India.

Notes:
A male tiger from the Kanha Tiger Reserve has been relocated to Mukundpur Safari in Satna. Kanha Tiger Reserve, the largest in Madhya Pradesh, spans 940 sq km across Mandla and Balaghat districts. Established on June 1, 1955, and declared a tiger reserve in 1973, it features forested undulations, hills, plateaus, and valleys. The reserve, believed to have inspired Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, is home to India’s first tiger reserve mascot, “Bhoorsingh the Barasingha.”

Notes:
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the ‘Van Mitra’ scheme, focusing on community-driven afforestation in non-forest areas. The initiative aims to involve local communities in expanding the state’s green cover, increasing survival rates of newly planted trees, and promoting tree planting beyond conventional forest zones. The scheme emphasizes environmental conservation and underscores the importance of community engagement in fostering sustainable afforestation efforts across Haryana.

Notes:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the launch of Mission Basundhara 4.0, focusing on surveying land within riverine areas. The government aims to settle land in mission mode, terming it as Basundhara. Basundhara 3.0 will commence after Lok Sabha elections, focusing on comprehensive land management and reserving revenue villages with 100% ST and SC communities. Mission Basundhara 2.0, launched in November 2022, addressed indigenous peoples land rights, settling over 3 lakh bigha in Brahmaputra Valley and 1 thousand bigha in Barak Valley. Mission Basundhara 3.0 will bring reforms, waiving the ‘three-generation’ requirement for tea, Adivasi, Gorkha, ST, and SC communities. Sunsali and Tea Garden Grant areas residents get a one-time opportunity under Mission Basundhara 3.0 for land patta applications.