Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
The Broadcast Engineering Society (India) hosted the BSE EXPO-2024, the 28th International Conference and Exhibition on Broadcast and Media Technology in New Delhi. Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur will be the chief guest, along with his deputy Dr L Murugan.

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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.

Notes:
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised spinner Ravichandran Ashwin for reaching 500 Test wickets, making him the second Indian bowler to achieve this after Anil Kumble. Ashwin joins an exclusive group of off-spinners with only Muttiah Muralidaran and Nathan Lyon surpassing 500 wickets. Notably, Ashwin is the third off-spinner in history to achieve this milestone. Despite this feat, he trails Kumble’s total wickets, who retired with 619 scalps. The historic moment occurred on the second day of the ongoing Test against England, dismissing Zak Crawley.

Notes:
The Nohar irrigation project in Jaipur, Rajasthan, is set to receive increased water supply as the Ferozepur feeder in Punjab undergoes repairs, enhancing its capacity and flow. Following Central Water Commission intervention, a technical committee recommended Nohar feeder remodelling due to inadequate water availability. Rajasthan and Punjab governments agreed to collaborate, and Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat convened a meeting to review the progress, focusing on renovating Baruwali distributary and Fatehabad branch. The estimated expenditure for the project is ₹139.51 crore.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Assam has announced a mission to reclaim chars, riverine islands in the Brahmaputra, to preserve ecological integrity. Chars face constant migration, with erosion upstream and deposition downstream during floods, impacting their geometry. Char areas encounter challenges like poor communication, mobility, and infrastructure, hindering development. Issues include isolation, flood threats, and difficulties implementing schemes for roads, irrigation, power, and education in these unique, flood-prone regions.

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‘Anuvadini’ is an AI-driven multilingual translation app designed in-house, enabling rapid conversion of English content into various languages via machine learning, supplemented by expert reviews. In the last two years, it has translated numerous textbooks for Ekumbh, an online platform. The initiative also offers 12 regional language choices for national entrance exams, showcasing substantial progress in the realm of AI-based language translation.

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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:
Uttar Pradesh secures ₹740 crore, the highest in India, under the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) Scheme, a revamped version of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA). The centrally sponsored scheme, under the Ministry of Education, aims to enhance the quality of state higher educational institutions in line with the National Education Policy 2020. PM-USHA emphasizes conformity to prescribed norms, standards, and accreditation for quality assurance in higher education.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Global Initiative on Digital Health (GIDH) as part of India’s G20 presidency. The initiative aims to democratize digital health technologies, featuring components such as a country needs tracker and a transformation toolbox. Union Health Minister Mandaviya highlighted its role in creating an institutional framework for digital health, while Bagchi emphasized India’s digital response during the pandemic. WHO Director-General Dr Tedros emphasized GIDH’s support in addressing health system fragmentation and overlap, promoting global digital health standards.

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Kathmandu recently hosted the multinational military exercise ‘Shanti Prayas IV,’ becoming a hub for global peacekeeping efforts. The event involved army representatives from 19 nations engaged in UN Peacekeeping missions, emphasizing collaborative dedication to global peace and security. Co-hosted by the Nepali Army and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the exercise highlighted the robust military cooperation between Nepal and the United States.