Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas is celebrated on January 9th every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community to the development of India. The day commemorates the return of Mahatma Gandhi from South Africa to Mumbai on January 9, 1915. Gandhi had spent over two decades in South Africa, building the foundations of Satyagraha and working to ease discrimination against the Indian community there. The Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas was established in 2003 by the Government of India Ministry of External Affairs to connect the Indian diaspora community more closely to India. Various events and award ceremonies take place on this day celebrating outstanding overseas Indians.

Notes:
China’s President Xi Jinping, in a New Year speech, declared that China’s “reunification” with Taiwan is inevitable. Beijing asserts that Taiwan is its “sacred territory.” While Xi did not mention military threats in his speech, China has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. Xi emphasized the importance of reunification and called for a common sense of purpose among “compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.” This underscores China’s territorial claim over Taiwan.

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Gujarat set a Guinness World Record on the first day of 2024 for the largest number of people, exceeding 50,000, performing Surya Namaskar simultaneously at 108 different venues. This feat was recognized as a significant cultural achievement and hailed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who emphasized the special significance of the number 108 in Indian culture. The event, which culminated in a state-wide competition, saw a major gathering at the iconic Modhera Sun Temple in Mehsana district, overseen by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.

Notes:
Doctors at Mumbai’s Tata Memorial Centre have indigenously developed Prevall, the first chemotherapy drug in India to be available as a syrup formulation. The oral suspension of 6-mercaptopurine can precisely dose children fighting acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Liquid forms were unavailable in developing countries earlier. Prevall effectively tackles challenges like flexibility in pediatric dosing, palatability and tolerability compared to tablets.

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A new species of see-through green frog named Gracixalus patkaiensis has been discovered in the biodiverse Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh. The tiny 2.2 cm frog inhabits dense undergrowth in evergreen forests at the foothills of the Patkai range, and has a distinct insect-like call. It has been named after the Patkai hills of the Eastern Himalayas.

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Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) has commissioned the Asanur Pipeline Terminal in Tamil Nadu to cater to the growing energy demand in the state. Built at a cost of ₹456 crore, it will serve 8 districts in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry by transporting petroleum products through a pipeline network. It will reduce pressure on existing terminals in Chennai.

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:
Three products of Arunachal Pradesh – adi kekir ginger, carpets handmade by Tibetan settlers and wooden items by the Wancho community – have received the prestigious GI tag recognizing their unique geographical roots. Adi kekir is a famed variety of ginger while Wancho artisans create sculpture figures on wooden items. The GI tag certifies specific products as originating from a particular region to boost their marketability.

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Adani appointed Hafeez Contractor Architects as the city planning firm for charting out the draft development plan for Dharavi project along with US firms Sasaki and Buro Happold. Contractor is known for slum rehabilitation and social housing projects aimed at improving lives.

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State-owned ONGC won seven out of the ten areas awarded for exploration and production in the latest 8th round of Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) bidding. A Reliance-BP joint venture managed to win one block out of the total ten.