Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2024

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.

Notes:
Indian and Sri Lankan coast guard ships recently joined the Maldives for Exercise Dosti 16, a trilateral coast guard exercise held every two years since 1991. Sri Lanka joined in 2012, and the 16th edition involves the Coast Guards of India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives, with observers from Bangladesh. The exercise focuses on mutual operational capability, interoperability, and cooperation in scenarios like sea accidents and pollution. India’s participation includes ICGS Samarth, ICGS Abhinav, and ICG Dornier.

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:
Dozens of exotic birds and animals, relocated to Gujarat’s Sardar Patel Zoological Park near the Statue of Unity, have perished in the past two years. The 182-meter tall statue, dedicated to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, stands on Sadhu Bet Island, Gujarat, by the Narmada Dam. Constructed by Larsen & Toubro and designed by Ram V Sutar, the statue honors India’s ‘Iron Man’. The Gujarat government funded the INR 3,050-crore project, covering 20,000 square meters with a surrounding artificial lake of 12 square kilometers.

Notes:
According to a 2023 report, India is the 80th most targeted country worldwide for cybercrime. The report states that 34% of Indian users were targeted by local threats in 2023, totaling 74 million incidents. In 2023, India has a national cybercrime rate of 129 per hundred thousand citizens. In the third quarter of 2023, India was ranked 10th globally for data breaches, with 369,000 leaked accounts.

Notes:
The Mobile World Congress (MWC) annually unites the mobile industry for networking and collaboration. In 2024, GSMA, the global association for mobile network operators, will host the event in Barcelona, Spain—a city renowned for its cultural heritage and innovation. This gathering provides a platform for industry professionals to connect and collaborate, showcasing the latest advancements in mobile technology and fostering global cooperation within the dynamic mobile ecosystem.

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:
NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd. (NTPC-REL) inaugurated its first solar project in Rajasthan. The 70 MW project is designed to produce 370 million units annually and is part of NTPC’s renewable energy expansion strategy. NTPC is also developing India’s largest floating solar power plant in Telangana.

Notes:
President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated ‘Purple Fest’ at Amrit Udyaan in Rashtrapati Bhawan. Organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, the event follows the success of the ‘International Purple Fest, 2024’ in Goa. Over ten thousand Divyangjan, along with their escorts, gathered for inclusive and interactive stalls focusing on accessibility, inclusion, and disability rights. Key activities include Amrit Udyaan visits, ‘Know your Disabilities,’ Purple Cafe, Purple Kaleidoscope, Purple Live Experience Zone, and Purple Sports.

Notes:
The Ministry of Education (MoE) introduced the SWAYAM Plus Platform, an extension of the Massive Open Online Course platform, aligning with the National Education Policy 2020. SWAYAM Plus now incorporates courses fostering industry-specific skills in collaboration with leaders, promoting learners’ employability. Notable features include multilingual content, AI-guidance, credit recognition, and pathways to employment. IIT Madras is the appointed nodal agency for implementation, with funding from MoE and the Department of Higher Education.