Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

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Every year January 4 is observed as World Braille Day to raise the importance of Braille, which serves as a communication medium for blind and partially sighted people. The day was first initiated by the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 and January is observed as Braille Literacy month. French Educator, who innovated the Braille system Louis Braille was born on January 4, 1809.

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Uttar Pradesh has retained top rank for the third straight year in ensuring extensive usage of the Supreme Court e-committee’s Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS), a nationwide platform integrating courts, police, prisons and forensic labs. Over 1.56 crore entries have been logged by U.P. so far through the single window arrangement which enables seamless information exchange at every stage – from FIR registration to imprisonment. Madhya Pradesh and Bihar trail at second and third position respectively. The wide adoption by U.P. police aims to employ ICJS’s data analytics to predict crimes, manage law & order situations better and reduce pendency of cases.

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The city of Nashik in Maharashtra has been selected by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India to host the National Youth Festival (NYF) 2024. As per recent announcements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the 5-day youth festival in Nashik on January 12, which will see participation of around 7,500 youths from across India. NYF is held every year to celebrate the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda on January 12. The selection of Nashik as the host gained attention as preparations are underway to organize this youth-centric national event focused on cultural programmes and competitions.

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Dharavi Redevelopment Project, spearheaded by the Adani Group, aims to transform Asia’s largest slum into a model of urban renewal, revitalizing its infrastructure and elevating the quality of life of its residents. The project, which involves global experts like architect Hafeez Contractor, design firm Sasaki, and consultancy firm Buro Happold, as well as experts from Singapore, is not just focused on physical redevelopment but also on nurturing the vibrant culture of Dharavi. The project’s goal is to create a sustainable, integrated live-work-play environment that respects and enhances the local community’s life, setting a global benchmark in equitable urban housing and redevelopment.

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Perihelion refers to the point in Earth’s elliptical orbit when it is closest to the Sun. In 2024, this event known as Perihelion Day will occur on January 3 when Earth comes within 91.4 million miles of the Sun. It occurs around two weeks after the December solstice each year. The opposite point when Earth is farthest from the Sun is called Aphelion which will occur on July 6, 2024.

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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.

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Venezuela has agreed to provide oil to India’s ONGC Videsh (OVL) as a form of compensation for a pending dividend amounting to approximately $600 million. This decision follows the easing of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela, allowing Indian refiners to resume the purchase of Venezuelan oil. ONGC Videsh, the overseas investment arm of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, holds a 40% stake in the San Cristobal field located in eastern Venezuela’s Orinoco Heavy Oil belt. The agreement to allocate crude cargoes in lieu of the accrued dividend is part of OVL’s continuous dialogue with PdVSA, Venezuela’s state oil company, to recover the dividend through various mechanisms, including the allocation of crude oil.

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The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) entered an MoU with ISRO’s National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) for 3 years to develop a “Green Cover Index” using satellite imagery to monitor plantation along vast network of national highways across India.

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ArcelorMittal has partnered with IIT-Madras to construct Asia’s first testing facility for Hyperloop pods and systems which enable magnetic levitation of pods through vacuum tubes for high-speed transportation of goods and people.

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The 19th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement is to be held from January 17 to 20 in Kampala, Uganda, with a preceding foreign ministers’ meeting from January 15. The summit is a significant event for India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who will be attending and focusing on priorities for the Global South and outreach to Africa. The NAM, consisting of a diverse membership from across various continents, is a critical platform for global cooperation and solidarity, and Uganda’s chairmanship is seen as an opportunity for advancing common goals among the member countries. Uganda is set to chair the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) for the period 2024-2027.