Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the global unemployment rate is expected to reach 5.2% in 2024, up from 5.1% in 2023. The ILO’s “World Employment and Social Outlook” report for 2024 predicts that the number of unemployed people will increase by 2 million.  The ILO attributes the increase to more people being unemployed in advanced economies. The ILO’s Director of Research Department, Richard Samans, says that the ILO is projecting a slight decline in labor market performance, in part due to slowing global growth.  The ILO also predicts that working poverty will persist and income inequality will widen. The ILO suggests that greater social justice is needed for a sustainable recovery.

Notes:
Gangasagar fair is celebrated every year on 14 or 15 January. This fair is held on the day of Makar Sankranti. In the year 2023, about 51 lakh devotees participated in this fair. This fair is held in South Pargana district of West Bengal. This fair is celebrated at Sagardweep, located some distance from the Bengal coast. Sagardweep is the place where the river Ganges meets the Bay of Bengal. In Gangasagar Mela, a dip is taken in the river on the banks of Ganga and then prayers are offered at the temple of Kapil Muni. Gangasagar Mela is the second largest Hindu fair after Kumbh Mela. By taking bath here one attains salvation and also gets the blessings of the ancestors.

Notes:
The President and Prime Minister recently extended warm wishes to Indian Army personnel on Army Day, celebrated annually on January 15. Established on January 15, 1949, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa became the first Indian Commander-in-Chief, marking a historic transition from British leadership. The 76th Army Day in 2024, themed “In Service of the Nation,” will be commanded by the Army’s Central Command in Lucknow, aligning with the Indian Army’s motto, “Service Before Self.”

Notes:
A rare all-white Gentoo penguin was recently spotted in Chilean Antarctica, a species exclusive to the Southern Hemisphere between 45 and 65 degrees south latitude. Typically found along shorelines, Gentoo penguins have distinct head markings with two white wedges around their eyes. Predominantly inhabiting the Falkland Islands, these penguins are classified as “Least Concern” on the IUCN Red List. The unique sighting highlights the diversity of wildlife in the region.

Notes:
A team led by Lalit Sahu, an Assistant Professor at NIT Raipur, has developed a ‘Fault Tolerant Inverter’ to address electricity supply faults. This innovation enables uninterrupted use of solar-generated electricity for residential and industrial purposes, compensating for the frequent faults in power conversion devices. The inverter, refined through two patents, enhances power supply stability by regulating solar panel variations. It marks a significant advancement, considering the typical 15-20 years lifespan of solar panels and 10-12 years for power conversion objects.

Notes:
India Meteorological Department (IMD) launched MAUSAM, an integrated GIS-based mobile app offering weather services such as hourly forecasts, Rainfall, Humidity, Sunrise/Sunset, Moonrise/Moonset, Rain Alert, Lightning Alert, Cyclone Alert, and more. The app supports 12 Indian languages and introduces “mausamgram” accessible via the mobile app or IMD website. “mausamgram” enables users to view observations, forecasts, and warnings through a map or search function using place names, pincodes, or coordinates, aligning with the vision “Har Har Mausam, Har Ghar Mausam.”

Notes:
On January 17, 2024, Grandmaster Rameshbabu Praggnanandhaa became India’s top-ranked men’s chess player, surpassing five-time World Champion Viswanathan Anand. The 18-year-old chess prodigy achieved this milestone after defeating the current world champion, China’s Ding Liren, in the fourth round of the Tata Steel Masters tournament.

Notes:
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the $107 million Parikrama Prakalpa project around Puri’s Jagannath Temple, witnessed by 90 Indian temple heads and Nepal’s Pashupatinath Temple reps, to improve pilgrim infrastructure – the biggest in 700 years. The inaugural event coincided with a 3-day ritual and launching of other Puri projects like a $27M bridge.

Notes:
On January 17, 2024, Union Fisheries Minister Parshottam Rupala inaugurated an artificial reef project in Vizhinjam, Kerala. The project aims to increase fish populations and fishermen’s income. The project is a joint initiative between the Central and State governments. The artificial reefs will be placed on the seabed off the coasts of fishing villages.

Notes:
Recently, S Krishnan, Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Intelligent Internet of Things (IIoT) Sensors and India’s first graphene center, the India Innovation Centre for Graphene (IICG). The centers are located at Makers Village in Kochi. The centers’ technical partners are Digital University Kerala (DUK) and the Centre for Materials for Electronics Technology (CMET)-Thrissur. The centers’ goal is to create a comprehensive ecosystem that includes R&D, incubation, innovation, skilling, capacity building, and testing and certification.