Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2024

Notes:
Microsoft and OpenAI are jointly embarking on a $100 billion project to create “Stargate,” an AI supercomputer. Scheduled for launch in 2028, it follows OpenAI’s AI upgrade in 2022. The project aims to surpass existing data centers’ capabilities by 100 times. Divided into five phases, with Stargate as the fifth, a smaller fourth-phase supercomputer is slated for release in 2026. Significant costs will be allocated to acquiring essential AI chips.

Notes:
IIT Kanpur recently signed an MoU with Conlis Global, a Canadian biotech company, for licensing a groundbreaking technology promoting bone healing and regeneration. Nano Hydroxyapatite-based Porous Composite Scaffolds, developed indigenously, possess biodegradable, osteoinductive, and osteopromotive properties crucial for bone regeneration. Highly biocompatible, these scaffolds demonstrate robust mechanical strength and foster excellent interaction between polymer networks and solvents, facilitating cell-material interactions with osteoblast cells.

Notes:
Indian and Nepalese Sanskrit scholars unite to enhance Sanskrit research and education. The three-day Nepal-India International Sanskrit Conclave in Kathmandu, organized by Niti Anusandhan Pratisthan, Nepal, along with Delhi’s Central Sanskrit University and India Foundation, saw over 120 experts participating. A five-point resolution includes annual conferences, a study center for unpublished Sanskrit manuscripts, support for gurukuls’ development, joint research, and training programs. The initiative aims to strengthen cultural ties and preserve Sanskrit heritage.

Notes:
World Autism Awareness Day, observed annually on April 2nd, advocates for improving the lives of individuals with autism and promoting their human rights. Established by a UN resolution in 2007, the day raises public awareness and encourages inclusive actions. The 2024 theme, “Empowering Autistic Voices,” emphasizes amplifying the voices of those with autism. Its goal is to ensure they enjoy dignity, participation, and rights on par with others in society.

Notes:
Delhi’s Forest and Wildlife Department is setting up a tissue culture lab at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary to propagate endangered native trees. The lab aims to regenerate saplings of rare species facing challenges in natural regeneration. Tissue culture, also known as micropropagation, involves growing plant cells in a controlled, sterile environment. This technique allows for the production of clones from a single cell, aiding conservation efforts for threatened trees in the city.

Notes:
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare recently launched the myCGHS app for iOS devices. Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC), it aims to improve access to Electronic Health Records and resources for CGHS beneficiaries. The app offers services such as appointment booking, accessing lab reports, and checking medical reimbursement status. Security features like 2-factor authentication ensure user data confidentiality. It’s designed to enhance information and accessibility for CGHS beneficiaries.

Notes:
SJVN Limited has partnered with IIT Patna to enhance tunnelling projects using advanced geological models. The agreement, signed in New Delhi on April 2, 2024, aims to develop predictive analytics algorithms for early risk detection, reducing time and cost. The priority lies in integrating diverse geotechnical data sources and evaluating overburden-deformation relationships. This strategic collaboration underscores both entities’ commitment to sustainable development and technological innovation in infrastructure projects.

Notes:
Romania has developed the world’s most powerful laser, which is part of the European Union’s Infrastructure ELI project. The laser, called the “Extreme Light Infrastructure-Nuclear Physics”- (ELI-NP) laser, is located in Magurele, Romania, near Bucharest. It uses Chirped-Pulse Amplification, which is a groundbreaking technology based on the inventions of Nobel Physics Prize winners Gerard Mourou and Donna Strickland. The laser is operated by the French company Thales and is expected to have revolutionary applications in healthcare and space exploration.

Notes:
The Sannati Buddhist site, discovered in the 1990s by ASI excavations, underwent neglect until a restoration project in 2022. Situated by the Bhima River near Kanaganahalli in Kalaburagi, Karnataka, it’s renowned for the Chandrala Parameshwari Temple. Notable findings include the Maha Stupa constructed over three phases from 3rd Century B.C. to 3rd Century A.D. and the Ranamandala area showcasing a chronological scale from prehistoric to early historic eras. An inscription in Prakrit using Brahmi script was also unearthed.

Notes:
Zimbabwe along with Zambia and Malawi has declared a state of disaster due to severe drought. President Emmerson Mnangagwa attributes it to an “El Nino-induced drought,” affecting over 80% of Zimbabwe. Climate change exacerbates the crisis, causing dire food shortages and humanitarian crises in the region.