Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

Notes:
The Rajasthan government introduced the Mukhyamantri Vishwakarma Pension Yojana, offering a monthly pension of Rs. 2,000 to eligible workers aged 60 or above. The initiative aims to support laborers and street vendors, ensuring their welfare by helping them meet daily needs independently. This special scheme underscores the government’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of vulnerable sections in Rajasthan.

Notes:
The 16th World Social Forum (WSF) conference in 2024 started in Kathmandu in February 2024. The conference is a five-day event that aims to promote exchange among civil society organizations, social movements, trade unions, and individuals who oppose neoliberal globalization. The theme of the conference is “Another World is Possible”.

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.

Notes:
‘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.

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:
Archaeologists recently uncovered Morodharo, a Harappan-era fortified settlement in Kutch District, Gujarat. Dating from 2,600 to 1,300 BCE, the settlement spans the mature to late Harappan period. The fortification, measuring 102m east to west and 58m north to south, boasts a 3.3m thick wall. Features include a 10x10m platform, a well, burial cairns, and Harappan pottery with perforated jar sherds. Resembling finds from Dholavira, the discovery sheds light on this ancient civilization.

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.

Notes:
In February 2024, scientists uncovered the world’s largest anaconda in the Amazon rainforest—a colossal Northern Green Anaconda. Discovered by TV wildlife presenter Professor Freek Vonk during a National Geographic expedition, this previously unknown snake measures 26 feet, weighs 200 kg, and boasts a head the size of a human’s. Featured in National Geographic’s Disney+ series ‘Pole to Pole’ with Will Smith, the snake has been named ‘Eunectes akayima’ by researchers, solidifying its status as the planet’s largest and heaviest snake.

Notes:
AIIMS Vijaypur in Jammu is founded under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana, addressing regional healthcare imbalances. The scheme aims to enhance affordable tertiary healthcare services and improve medical education facilities across India. This initiative reflects a commitment to ensuring accessible and quality healthcare infrastructure throughout the country.

Notes:
Reliance Industries, in collaboration with top Indian engineering schools, is launching BharatGPT, a ChatGPT-style AI model named Hanooman. Backed by Reliance Jio, Hanooman aims to advance India’s AI in healthcare, governance, finance, and education, operating in 11 local languages with speech-to-text capabilities. Reliance Jio is concurrently developing Jio Brain for its 450 million subscribers. Other startups like Sarvam and Krutrim, supported by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Vinod Khosla’s fund, are also contributing open-sourced AI models for India’s growth.