Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
The four Shankaracharyas, leaders of Hindu maths established by Adi Shankara, declared their non-attendance at the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration. Adi Shankaracharya, or Shankara founded maths in Dwarka, Joshimath, Puri, and Sringeri, each safeguarding a Veda. For instance, Govardhan Math in Puri protects the Rig Veda. The Shankaracharyas oversee the Dashanami Sampradaya, a renunciate order. Originating in the 8th century, these maths serve as centers for religious practice, knowledge dissemination, and Vedic literature preservation.

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:
Asia’s largest civil aviation event, Wings India 2024, is being held at Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad, India from January 18–21, 2024. The event includes exhibitions, static displays, demonstration flights, media conferences, and business meetings. The event’s theme is “Connecting India with the World in Amritkal”. It will feature aircraft of various sizes, and is expected to attract around 1500 delegates from over 100 countries, 5,000 business representatives, and more than 100,000 visitors.

Notes:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 71st Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) in Shillong, Meghalaya. The NEC focuses on the economic and social development of the eight-state region. Shah highlighted the NEC’s 50-year impact, citing over 12,000 km of roads, power plants, and national institutes established in the region, fostering development and addressing state-specific issues.

Notes:
China’s Shi Yu Qi won the 2024 India Open men’s singles title on January 21, 2024. He beat Hong Kong’s Lee Cheuk Yiu in straight sets, 23-21, 21-17. The 2024 India Open badminton tournament was held in New Delhi, India from January 16–21, with a prize fund of USD 850,000. The other winners were: Women’s singles: Tai Tzu Ying (Chinese Taipei) Men’s doubles: Kang Min Hyuk-Seo Seung Jae (South Korea) Mixed doubles: Mayu Matsumoto-Wakana Nagahara (Japan) Women’s doubles: Dechapol Puavaranukroh-Sapsiree Taerattanachai (Thailand)

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued guidance on the ethical use of Large Multi-Modal Models (LMM) in healthcare. LMMs, powerful AI technology capable of processing diverse data, are transforming healthcare and research. The WHO emphasizes a collaborative approach involving governments, tech companies, healthcare providers, and civil society in LMM development. Developers are advised to engage stakeholders early, design models for well-defined tasks, and consider potential outcomes. WHO outlines six core principles, including protecting autonomy, ensuring transparency, and promoting inclusiveness in AI development and deployment.

Notes:
The 60 Parachute Field Hospital in Uttar Pradesh is honored with the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar-2024 for outstanding Disaster Management efforts. The annual award, instituted by the Centre, acknowledges individuals and organizations in India for their selfless service in disaster management. Announced on Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary, January 23, the award includes a 51 lakh rupees cash prize and a certificate for institutions, and five lakh rupees and a certificate for individuals.

Notes:
The 2nd edition of Exercise CYCLONE, a joint special forces drill between India and Egypt, is taking place in Anshas, Egypt, from January 22 to February 1, 2024. The Indian Army contingent, comprising 25 personnel from The Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), is participating. The exercise focuses on enhancing bilateral military cooperation and understanding operating procedures in desert terrain under UN Charter Chapter VII. It involves three phases, including Military Exhibitions, IED training, and Joint Tactical Exercises, fostering stronger ties between the two friendly nations.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed crucial tests on the Insat-3DS satellite, a collaborative effort with the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Part of a climate observatory satellite series, it aims to enhance climate services. The satellite, along with INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR already in orbit, will be launched using the more advanced Geosynchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F14), featuring cryogenic liquid propellants. INSAT-3DR boasts improvements like imaging in the Middle Infrared band for night-time cloud and fog pictures and enhanced accuracy in Sea Surface Temperature estimation.

Notes:
The Election Commission of India conducted a virtual training program on the Election Seizure Management System (ESMS) for Andhra Pradesh officers. ESMS is a dedicated platform digitizing data for intercepted items during elections, including cash, liquor, drugs, precious metals, and more. Its features include automated report generation, dashboard analytics, and QR code-based receipts for legal cash transfers. The system ensures real-time information sharing among enforcement agencies, promoting seamless coordination and intelligence sharing for recorded movements and seizures.