Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
Sri Lanka’s decision to impose a one-year ban on Chinese research vessels in its EEZ was influenced by concerns raised by India and the US. These concerns were regarding the potential activities of the Chinese vessels, including scientific research and ballistic missile tracking in the Indian Ocean. This move, which was communicated through diplomatic channels, reflects the geopolitical dynamics in the region, especially concerning the presence and activities of Chinese vessels in waters close to India.

Notes:
Kyrgyzstan has declared the snow leopard as its new national symbol. Snow leopards inhabit the Tian Shan mountain range in the country. They feature in Kyrgyz folklore and are seen as a symbol of greatness, nobility and resilience. Conservation of the endangered species will be promoted under the new status.

Notes:
Jammu & Kashmir has become the first Union Territory to roll out the PM Vishwakarma Yojana skill training program for craftsmen and artisans. 30 trainees have enrolled in the first batch focused on tailoring and dress design at the ITI center in Shopian. Implementation aims to foster local businesses and self-employment.

Notes:
Students can enroll in APAAR, the Automated Permanent Academic Account Registry, through the Digilocker portal. During the registration process, students are required to provide basic details such as their name, age, date of birth, gender, and a photograph. This online enrollment process facilitates ease of access and simplifies the procedure for students across India, allowing them to seamlessly monitor their academic journey and take advantage of the various benefits offered by the APAAR system. The integration of APAAR with the Academic Bank Credit (ABC) account further enhances the digital management of academic credits, reducing reliance on physical documents and improving academic tracking.

Notes:
FMR refers to the Free Movement Regime operational on India’s border with Myanmar. It allows tribal communities living along both sides of the boundary to travel up to 16 km across the border without visas. However, amidst rising illegal immigration and security challenges tied to cross-border crime, India plans to discontinue the FMR scheme and mandate visas for Myanmarese nationals’ entry. Concerns around FMR facilitating entry of non-tribals abusing its lax regulations prompted this reassessment of the agreement after 75 years.

Notes:
S Krishnan, the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), inaugurated ERNET India’s newly developed integrated web portal designed for educational institutes in India. This event took place at the head office of ERNET India in New Delhi on January 4, 2024. The portal aims to provide various services, including domain registration, DNS, Website as a Service (WaaS), and Learning Management as a Service (LMaaS), leveraging open-source software and emerging technologies like AI/ML. ERNET India, functioning under MeitY, serves as the exclusive domain registrar for educational and research institutes in India and offers a range of other technological services.

Notes:
Nepal’s government imposed a ban on its citizens from traveling to Russia or Ukraine for employment due to concerns over their recruitment in the ongoing armed conflict. The Department of Employment in Nepal issued a notice following reports that Nepalese nationals were being recruited by the Russian Army to fight in the conflict, with some casualties and captures reported. There are also unconfirmed beliefs that some Nepalese citizens might be fighting as hired soldiers on the Ukrainian side. This decision by the Nepalese government highlights the serious implications of international conflicts on citizens and the measures taken to ensure their safety and well-being.

Notes:
The annual Ice and Snow Festival, famous for its spectacular and large-scale ice sculptures, is hosted in the city of Harbin. Harbin is the capital city of China’s northernmost province, Heilongjiang, and is renowned for this festival which attracts a significant number of tourists each year. This festival features fairy-tale ice sculptures that are illuminated with colorful lights at night, creating a magical winter wonderland. The sculptures, some of which are several stories high, are made from ice harvested from the nearby frozen Songhua River. In addition to the sculptures, the festival includes various activities like ice slides for both children and adults. The event has gained considerable popularity, drawing thousands of visitors daily and contributing significantly to the local tourism economy, particularly after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

Notes:
The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the designation of several countries as “Countries of Particular Concern” for engaging in and tolerating particularly severe violations of religious freedom. This list includes Burma, China, Cuba, North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan. This action reflects the US’s commitment to advancing the freedom of religion or belief, a core objective of its foreign policy since the enactment of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. The designation is aimed at highlighting and addressing significant violations of religious freedom in these countries, which include various forms of abuses against members of religious minority communities, attacks on places of worship, communal violence, and other forms of persecution and intolerance.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi has developed a ‘Work4Food’ solution that guarantees minimum wages for food delivery workers. The solution was developed by a research team from IIT Delhi comprising Abhijnan Chakraborty, Sayan Ranu, Amitabha Bagchi and PhD scholar Anjali. Professor Chakraborty from the Computer Science and Engineering Department, IIT Delhi said that this solution is an order assignment algorithm to ensure each delivery person earns more than the minimum wage.