Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
The Neem Summit & Global Neem Trade Fair, hosted in New Delhi on 19-20 February 2024, is a collaborative initiative led by ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi. With diverse stakeholders, the event highlights neem’s versatile applications in agriculture, healthcare, and environmental sustainability. Embracing the theme “Neem for Sustainable Agriculture, Health, and Environment,” the summit aims to spotlight neem’s multifaceted benefits and promote its role in fostering sustainability across various sectors.

Notes:
The Odisha government has launched the ‘Odisha Inclusive Urban Sanitation Policy 2024′ to enhance sanitation services, emphasizing a circular economy, community partnership, and disaster resilience. Issued by the Housing and Urban Development Department, it aligns with Sustainable Development Goal 6.2, reflecting the state’s commitment to improving citizens’ access to sanitation infrastructure. The policy is part of Odisha’s broader Swachh Odisha, Sustha Odisha movement, focusing on urban sanitation initiatives to enhance infrastructure and service delivery.

Notes:
Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in the British Isles, faces an alarming ecosystem collapse in 2024, marked by the absence of its native fly. Situated in East-central Northern Ireland, covering 392 sq km with a 5,700 sq km catchment area, it serves as a crucial water source, supplying over 40% of Northern Ireland’s drinking water. Known for Europe’s largest wild eel fishery and hosting 100 bird species, it holds cultural and archaeological significance as a jewel in the region.

Notes:
Skyroot Aerospace, an Indian aerospace manufacturer, introduces the Kalpana Fellowship, India’s inaugural program empowering women in space tech. Named after astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the initiative targets final-year students and recent graduates in relevant engineering disciplines, marking a significant step in promoting gender diversity in the space industry.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister chaired the 28th meeting of Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) in New Delhi. FSDC, established in 2010, is a non-statutory apex body under the Ministry of Finance. Proposed by the Raghuram Rajan Committee in 2008, it includes key financial institutions like RBI, IRDA, SEBI, and PFRDA, with members including the Finance Secretary, Chief Economic Advisor, and Secretary of the Department of Financial Services.

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.

Notes:
A team of conservationists led by the University of Portsmouth discovered the nesting site of the Cantor’s giant softshell turtle on the banks of the Chandragiri River in Kerala, India. The discovery is the first-ever nesting evidence and discovery of a breeding population of this critically endangered species. The Cantor’s giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is a native to the rivers of south and Southeast Asia. It is known for its rarity and secretive nature.

Notes:
State-run SJVN achieved commercial electricity supply from its 50 MW Gujrai solar power station in Kanpur Dehat, Uttar Pradesh. The project, executed by SJVN through its renewable arm SGEL at a cost of Rs 281 crore, is now operational. SJVN’s total installed power capacity is 2,277 MW across 10 power stations. The Gujrai station is expected to generate 107 million units in the first year, with a cumulative energy generation of 2,477 million units over 25 years, generating annual revenue of about Rs 32 crore.

Notes:
The completion of Shahpur Kandi barrage on the Punjab-Jammu and Kashmir border has stopped water flow from the River Ravi to Pakistan. Located downstream from the Ranjit Sagar Dam, the Shahpur Kandi Dam Project aims at power generation and irrigation in Punjab and J&K. Constructed by the Punjab government’s irrigation department; it includes a 55.5 m high concrete gravity dam, a 7.70 km long hydel channel, two head regulators, and two powerhouses, with a total output capacity of 206 MW.

Notes:
Turkey’s first fifth-generation aircraft, the KAAN, completed its maiden flight at the Akinci air base near Ankara. The 13-minute flight reached an altitude of 8,000 feet. The KAAN, also known as TF and MMU, is a twin-engine, all-weather fighter jet being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries and BAE Systems. It’s designed to replace the Turkish Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft and will be sold to other countries.