Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 10, 2024

Notes:
Russian forces recently launched a 3M22 Zircon missile targeting Kyiv. The 3M22 Zircon is a scramjet-powered hypersonic cruise missile developed in Russia, boasting speeds up to Mach 9 and a 1000 km range. It features a two-stage design with solid fuel in the first stage and a scramjet motor in the second. The missile employs cooled supersonic combustion ramjet engines, creating a plasma cloud during flight for radar invisibility. It differs from other hypersonic weapons like China’s DF-17 or Russia’s Avangard, using an active and passive radar seeker guidance system.

Notes:
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside, reveals a potent ally in pest control – a new nematode species, Steinernema adamsi. Belonging to the Steinernema family, known for insect parasite control without pesticides since the 1920s, this species is beneficial, infecting and killing harmful insects by releasing pathogenic bacteria. Harmless to humans, Steinernema adamsi offers sustainable agricultural solutions against crop pests.

Notes:
Pyarelal Sharma, the renowned musician, has been honored with the Laxminarayan International Award at the Global Music Festival. Presented by L Subramaniam and Kavita Krishnamurthy Subramaniam, Pyarelal is a highly successful Hindi cinema composer with an illustrious eight-decade career. The award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the world of music.

Notes:
India’s logistics performance has shown significant improvement, ranking 38th out of 139 countries in the World Bank’s 2023 Logistics Performance Index, a climb of six places since 2018 and sixteen places since 2014. This data, shared by Union Minister Shri Som Parkash, highlights advancements in Customs, Infrastructure, Logistics Services, Shipment Arrangement, Tracking, and Timeliness. Initiatives like the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan and the National Logistics Policy, along with digital reforms like the Unified Logistics Interface Platform, contribute to this positive trend.

Notes:
World Pulses Day, observed on February 10 annually, promotes awareness about the nutritional and environmental benefits of pulses in sustainable food production. The United Nations assigns a theme each year; the 2024 theme is “Pulses: Nourishing Soils and People,” aiming to integrate pulses into diets and agricultural practices. The day originated in 2019, emphasizing pulses’ role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals.