Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
The Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light scheme is associated with the state of Bihar. Despite the launch of the Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light Scheme in Bihar 18 months ago, over 80% of rural villages are still without solar street lights. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar initiated the scheme in 2022 to install over a million solar street lights in 8,000 Gram Panchayats, promoting green energy. However, only 106,161 lights have been installed to date, significantly falling short of the target, as revealed by official data from the Bihar Panchayati Raj Department’s digital platform.

Notes:
India recently overtook Hong Kong as the world’s fourth-largest equity market, boasting a total market value of 4.33 trillion, surpassing Hong Kong’s 4.29 trillion. The leading global stock markets are currently the U.S., China, and Japan. This milestone underscores India’s rising prominence in the global financial arena, propelled by a robust GDP, political stability, foreign investments, and its appeal as an alternative to China. Meanwhile, Hong Kong grapples with challenges like COVID-19 restrictions, regulatory crackdowns, a property crisis, and geopolitical tensions, affecting its attractiveness to investors.

Notes:
The new Mahindra Armado, India’s first Armoured Light Specialist Vehicle (ALSV), debuted at the Republic Day Parade. Designed and built by Mahindra Defence Systems, it’s intended for the Indian armed forces in counter-terrorism, Special Forces, reconnaissance, and border patrolling. With a seating capacity of six (expandable to eight), it boasts a 1,000 kg load capacity, B7-level ballistic protection, and a 3.2-liter diesel engine generating 216 hp. Armado accelerates from 0 to 60 kmph in 12 seconds, reaching speeds exceeding 120 kmph, equipped with self-cleaning exhaust and air filtration for extreme climates.

Notes:
Krutrim, Ola group’s AI firm, becomes India’s first AI unicorn, securing 50 million at a 1 billion valuation in a recent funding round. A unicorn is a privately held startup valued over $1 billion, symbolizing rarity and uniqueness. The pandemic’s impact, fostering digital growth in India, led to a surge in unicorn companies, driven by factors like a thriving digital payments ecosystem, a vast smartphone user base, and digital-first business models, attracting substantial investments.

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Jharkhand’s Republic Day parade tableau highlighted tribal women’s expertise in crafting Tasar silk, a wild silk variety derived from silkworms feeding on plants like Asan and Arjun. Known by various names like tusaar and tusser, India is the second-largest global producer after China, with exclusive Indian tussar, mainly cultivated by tribals. Key production regions include Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, with Jharkhand emerging as a significant contributor. The tableau aimed to showcase this indigenous skill on a national platform.

Notes:
The National Conference on Strategic Trade Controls (NCSTC), organized by the DGFT and supported by the Ministry of External Affairs held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The event, focusing on India’s strategic trade controls, SCOMET, and export systems, aims to ensure compliance with international best practices. Notable participants include key international figures and senior government officials. Over 500 industry representatives are anticipated, with registrations open to interested stakeholders via DGFT’s website.

Notes:
Tanmay Agarwal set the record for the fastest triple century in first-class cricket in January 2024. Agarwal scored 323 runs off 160 balls against Arunachal Pradesh in a Ranji Trophy Plate Group game. Agarwal’s innings included 33 boundaries and 21 sixes. Agarwal’s 147-ball triple century broke the previous record held by Marco Marais, who scored a triple century in 191 deliveries in 2017.

Notes:
The Indian Navy bid farewell to INS Nirupak, a survey ship commissioned in 1985, after 38 years of service. Launched on June 4, 1981, and based in Visakhapatnam, the vessel played a crucial role in hydrography, earning awards for excellence. It actively participated in humanitarian operations, including the 2004 tsunami relief. The decommissioning ceremony marked the end of an era, with plans for four advanced survey ships to bolster India’s hydrographic capabilities between 2024 and 2026.

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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.

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The Ministry of Education recently approved reforms in Higher Education Institutions’ accreditation system based on recommendations from the Dr. Radhakrishnan Committee. The Composite Assessment System (CAS) merges Program and Institutional Accreditation, introducing Binary Accreditation. NAAC aims to implement this in four months, with no new applications under the old system. Maturity-Based Graded Accreditation from Level 1 to 5 will be enforced by December 2024. Additionally, a unified One Nation One Data Platform and “Stakeholder validation” are proposed for transparent accreditation processes.