Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
India and Colombia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to share India’s open-sourced digital public infrastructure (DPI). The MoU is for cooperation in digital transformation, including sharing successful digital solutions that have been implemented at population scale. India has developed some of the world’s best digital public goods infrastructure, including delivering services to the public during the COVID pandemic.

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Prabowo Subianto, a 72-year-old former Special Forces commander and defense minister, claimed victory in the Indonesian presidential election, securing nearly 60% of votes according to quick counts. Born in Jakarta in 1951, he joined the Indonesian Military Academy in 1970, rising through the ranks. Prabowo, a close associate of Soeharto, married the former leader’s daughter. Notably, he led the Kopassus unit during the anti-Chinese riots in May 1998.

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Renowned Urdu poet Gulzar and Sanskrit scholar Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been announced as the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award by the Jnanpith selection committee. This prestigious award is recognition of their significant contributions to literature. In 2022, the award was conferred upon Goan writer Damodar Mauzo, adding to the distinguished list of laureates. The Jnanpith Award, established in 1961, is one of the highest literary honors in India, celebrating outstanding writers in various Indian languages.

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Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya launched the AIIMS-SBI Smart payment card at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. The card aims to facilitate hassle-free payments for patients, eliminating the need for carrying cash. Provided free of cost with no service charges, the card is linked to the patient’s Unique Hospital Identification number and Ayushman Bharat Health Account ID. Termed ‘One AIIMS, One Card,’ the initiative plans to extend these services to all AIIMS institutions nationwide.

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh’s 2024-25 annual budget prioritizes environmental concerns, unveiling the Mukhya Mantri Harit Vikas Chhattravriti Yojana for postgraduate researchers. Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, in the February 17 presentation, emphasized climate change threats and outlined action plans at district and Panchayat levels. The state aims to collaborate with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change and the German development agency GIZ to address climate change’s impact on agriculture and horticulture, conducting a need assessment study for effective mitigation.

Notes:
Iris and Massalia are asteroids that have similar orbits and are potentially the first asteroids in our solar system to have confirmed water.  Iris is 124 miles in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids in our solar system. It orbits between Mars and Jupiter and is the fourth brightest object in the asteroid belt. Massalia is 84 miles in diameter and is similar in size to Iris.  Scientists using SOFIA’s infrared telescope discovered molecular water on the asteroids. The water could be stored in multiple ways, such as trapped in silicate glass beads or stuck to the silicates’ surface.

Notes:
The Government of Goa is partnering with the World Bank to establish India’s first subnational blended finance facility, focusing on climate resilience. Announced at the 2024 India Climate and Development Partners Meeting, this innovative initiative aims to leverage concessional finance for low-carbon investments. The facility will bridge green financing and domestic capital markets, facilitating climate action projects with and without existing funding, ultimately enhancing Goa’s and other coastal states’ resilience to climate impacts.

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India has won three gold medals and one silver medal at the 2024 Asian Indoor Athletics Championships in Tehran, Iran. On the opening day of the championships, the following athletes won gold medals: Tajinderpal Singh Toor: Ace shot putter Jyothi Yarraji: 100m hurdler Harmilan Bains: 1500m

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The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting recently launched four portals, including NaViGate Bharat, a bilingual platform by the New Media Wing. NaViGate Bharat serves as a unified gateway hosting government-related videos, simplifying access to developmental measures and citizen welfare initiatives. The platform empowers users with an interactive interface for searching, streaming, sharing, and downloading content, streamlining information retrieval from various sources into a single, reliable platform for both media and the public.

Notes:
Social groups nationwide recently organized the Naanoo Rani Chennamma campaign, marking 200 years since Rani Chennamma’s rebellion against the British East India Company. Born in Kakati, Karnataka, she became Kitturu’s queen after marrying Raja Mallasarja. Post his death, the British refused to recognize Shivalingappa as the successor, leading to the Kittur Rebellion. British forces initially suffered losses, but eventually captured Kittur Fort in 1824. Rani Chennamma and family were imprisoned; she passed away in 1829 at the Bailhongal fort.