Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 9-10, 2025

Notes:
Odisha CM Mohan Charan Majhi launched the ‘Bikashita Gaon, Bikashita Odisha’ (BGBO) scheme to bridge the rural-urban development gap. The scheme has a budget of ₹5,000 crore over five years and aims to develop 60,000 villages. It focuses on improving basic infrastructure for better living conditions in rural areas, covering 80% of the state’s population. Villagers will plan and implement projects, with 40% of funds reserved for tribal areas. Transparent governance ensured through district collectors and social audits.

Notes:
The Karnataka government’s plan to open Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary (BWS) for a wildlife safari has triggered controversy and environmentalist backlash. It is located in Belgaum district, Karnataka, spanning the Western Ghats. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in December 2011 and is named after Bhimgad Fort. It was built by Shivaji in the 17th century. The sanctuary shares boundaries with multiple protected areas, including Dandeli and Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuaries. It is the source of rivers like Tillari, Malaprabha, and Mhadei.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved a three-year extension for the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK). It was established in 1994 under the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993, but became a non-statutory body in 2004. It functions under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Its purpose is to investigate the conditions of Safai Karamcharis (waste collectors) and make welfare recommendations. It evaluates existing welfare programs, handles grievances, and monitors the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013.

Notes:
River protection activists have threatened an indefinite satyagraha outside the Odisha Chief Minister’s residence if pollution in the Daya River is not controlled. The Daya River originates from the Kusabhadra River and flows through Khurda and Puri districts into Chilika Lake. It is about 37 km long and has the Malaguni River as a tributary. The river supports wetland biodiversity and provides a habitat for fish and migratory birds. Historically, the Daya River is linked to the Kalinga War of 261 BCE, where it turned red with the blood of fallen soldiers, leading Ashoka to embrace Buddhism.

Notes:
Dashavatar performances recently started in Maharashtra. Dashavatar is a traditional theatre form with an 800-year history. It represents the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu: Matsya, Kurma, Varaha, Narasimha, Vaman, Parashuram, Ram, Krishna, Buddha, and Kalki. Performers use bright makeup and costumes, accompanied by a paddle harmonium, tabla, and zanj (cymbals). It is popular in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra’s South Konkan region and North Goa district of Goa.