Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
Union Minister Hardeep Puri praised PM SVANidhi for restoring street vendors’ dignity during the pandemic. Launched on June 1, 2020, the scheme provided affordable working capital loans, totaling ₹10,678 crore, to over 60.94 lakh street vendors. The initiative, overseen by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, distributed loans to 10,000 vendors at the PM SVANidhi Mega Camp, benefitting those severely affected by Covid-19 lockdown.

Notes:
The Kula Mama Volleyball Tournament-2024 at Melghat Tiger Reserve’s Semadoh promotes tiger and forest conservation with local youth engagement. Melghat Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra, established in 1967, declared a tiger reserve in 1974, and the first in the state, is located in the Amaravati district. Characterized by tropical dry deciduous forests and major rivers, it plays a crucial role in protecting wildlife. The tournament underscores the significance of preserving this pristine landscape and its inhabitants.

Notes:
Astronomers announced the discovery of J0529-4351, the brightest and fastest-growing quasar to date. This quasar harbors a supermassive black hole 17 billion times the Sun’s mass. Quasars are active galactic nuclei (AGNs), fueled by supermassive black holes at a galaxy’s center. Not all AGNs are quasars, which form in regions of high matter density. Quasars are exceptionally luminous and powerful cosmic phenomena, arising from active galaxies with intense matter consumption, leading to the formation of spiraling accretion disks.

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:
Japan recently hosted a conference to discuss reconstruction of Ukraine. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida committed to long-term engagement in Ukraine’s reconstruction, framing it as a future investment. In a conference co-organized with Ukraine, Kishida emphasized Japan’s commitment to inclusive, humanitarian, and technologically-driven cooperation. Over 50 deals were signed between Japanese and Ukrainian entities, highlighting their collaborative efforts in supporting the war-torn nation two years after Russia’s invasion.

Notes:
The UNESCAP’s ‘Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2024’ reveals that the region is 32 years behind the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals target. Established in 1947 as ECAFE, it became ESCAP in 1974, one of the UN’s five regional commissions. With 53 member states (including India) and 9 associate members, UNESCAP is headquartered in Bangkok, Thailand. Its objective is to foster cooperation among members to address sustainable development challenges.

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:
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami introduced ‘Himalayan Basket’ at his residence, a venture initiated in 2018 by Sumit and Sneha Thapliyal. This initiative involves purchasing agricultural products such as milk, turmeric, and mint, processing them into various products, and supplying them internationally.

Notes:
The Gonda Forest Department in Uttar Pradesh is partnering with Turtle Survival Alliance Foundation India to create a turtle conservation reserve in the Sarju River. Home to approximately 5,000 adult crowned river turtles, recent studies show that the Sarju River hosts around half of this population. The collaboration aims to protect and preserve the rich turtle diversity in the region, emphasizing the importance of conservation efforts for these endangered species.

Notes:
The world is on the verge of eradicating Guinea worm disease, a neglected tropical disease caused by the Dracunculus medinensis parasite. According to the World Health Organization, cases dropped to 14 in 2021, 13 in 2022, and just 6 in 2023. The disease is contracted by consuming water contaminated with Guinea worm larvae, leading to painful blisters. Currently, there is no drug treatment or vaccine for Guinea worm disease.