Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid homage at the origin point of Ram Setu, Arichal Munai, in Tamil Nadu, and visited temples in Andhra Pradesh and Kerala linked to the Ramayana tale. Concluding his South India tour, he offered prayers at Kothandaramaswamy Temple in Rameswaram. The tour included stops at significant religious sites, aligning with cultural and historical significance.

Notes:
A new plant species, ‘Andrographis theniensis,’ was discovered in Tamil Nadu’s Theni district in the Western Ghats. Named after its location, the plant closely resembles Andrographis megamalayana, featuring glabrous leaves and stems, a nine-veined lower lip, pale yellowish sparse hair on the middle lobe, and yellow anther. Andrographis, a tropical Asian genus, is known for treating various ailments in traditional medicine systems. With nearly 25 species in India, it holds significance for its medicinal uses against cold, cough, fever, and more.

Notes:
Indian Prime Minister extends Parakram Diwas greetings on January 23, commemorating Subhash Chandra Bose’s 127th birth anniversary. Bose, a freedom fighter, played a key role in India’s independence movement against British colonial rule. Parakram Diwas aims to inspire fearlessness and patriotism, especially in the youth. Bose, born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Orissa, joined the Indian National Congress, served as its president, but resigned due to ideological conflicts with Mahatma Gandhi. In 1939, he formed the Forward Bloc, uniting anti-British forces in India.

Notes:
The Centre has no plans to modify the RoDTEP scheme for exporters, despite US anti-subsidy duties. The issue lies in exporters’ inability to provide adequate documents to US investigators, not the scheme’s WTO compatibility. Launched on January 1, 2021, by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, RoDTEP replaces the MEIS to refund non-recoverable embedded taxes and boost exports. The scheme aims to address previously low export volumes by facilitating duty and tax remissions for exporters.

Notes:
The BCCI will honor former Indian all-rounder and coach Ravi Shastri with a Lifetime Achievement Award, and cricketer Shubman Gill will receive the Cricketer of the Year award for his outstanding performance, including being the fastest to reach 2000 runs in ODIs and scoring five hundreds in the past year.

Notes:
A committee led by Prof. K. Vijay Raghavan, appointed by the Ministry of Defence, reviewed and proposed restructuring of the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Established in 1958, DRDO focuses on cutting-edge defense technologies.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan honored 100 school students as ‘Super-100’ winners of Veer Gatha 3.0 in New Delhi. The awards, part of the Republic Day celebrations, recognize students for their contributions in various categories. The Veer Gatha project aimed to instill awareness and appreciation for Armed Forces sacrifices, attracting a record-breaking participation of 1.36 crore students from over 2.42 lakh schools between July 13 and September 30 the previous year.

Notes:
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann launched the ‘Road Safety Force’ in Jalandhar, making Punjab the first state to initiate a dedicated road safety and traffic management force. Concerned about the high fatality rate of 17-18 lives lost daily in road accidents, Mann deployed 144 hi-tech vehicles and 5000 personnel to streamline traffic and enhance road safety across the state. This marks a significant step in addressing the pressing issue of road accidents in Punjab.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti signed a MoU with Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for the “Modified PKC- Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project (ERCP).” The project, integrated into the National Perspective Plan, targets optimal water use in the Chambal basin. It aims to supply drinking and industrial water to 13 districts, connecting sub-basins within Chambal Basin. River Interlinking, part of disaster management, economics, and ecology, connects water bodies to mitigate floods, enhance irrigation, and support biodiversity, though concerns include biodiversity loss and community displacement.

Notes:
The Ministry of Culture’s tableau, themed “Bharat: Mother of Democracy”, won first prize at the 75th Republic Day parade in 2024. The tableau showcased the evolution of democracy from ancient India to modern times. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) announced the win. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ tableau, depicting “vibrant villages”, won second prize.