Current Affairs Quiz - February 2025

Notes:
A joint regional official language conference was recently held in Jaipur. It is organized by the Official Language Department of the Home Ministry. Around 3,000 participants from Central Government offices, nationalized banks, PSUs, and Town Official Language Implementation Committees attended. Best-performing institutions were honored for promoting the use of Hindi in government work. The main objective was to encourage Hindi usage in government departments.

Notes:
The Periyar Tiger Conservation Foundation has introduced a real-time monitoring and networking system in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary is in Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala, covering 53 sq km. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1983. The sanctuary includes the catchment area of Peppara Dam, built on the Karamana River. The new system aims to enhance wildlife protection and conservation efforts in the region.

Notes:
INSV Tarini reached Port Stanley on February 18, 2025, completing the third phase of Navika Sagar Parikrama II. The expedition highlights the Indian Navy’s commitment to gender empowerment and maritime excellence. It is crewed by two women officers, Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A. The voyage, covering over 21,600 nautical miles, started from Goa on October 2, 2024. Route includes Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falkland), Cape Town (South Africa), and back to Goa. INSV Tarini, a 56-foot sailing vessel, has previously completed Navika Sagar Parikrama in 2017.

Notes:
Ajmer is hosting the first-ever All India Transgender Conference, a 10-day transgender conference. The event began on February 17, 2025, with the Khichdi Tulai ritual. It aims to address issues faced by the transgender community across India. It is organized in memory of Anita Bai, mentor of Gaddipati Saloni Nayak. More than 2,000 transgender members from various states are participating.

Notes:
Assam’s largest tribal community, the Mising tribe, recently celebrated the Ali Ai Ligang festival. The Mising people are an indigenous tribe from Northeast India, part of the Tani group speaking Tibeto-Burmese languages. They reside in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, and Tibet, where Tibetans call them “Lhobhas” (southerners). Their life revolves around rivers, agriculture, and fishing.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India attended Jhumoir Binandini 2025, a grand cultural event featuring 8,000 performers. Jhumoir, also known as Jhumur, is a traditional folk dance of Assam’s Adivasi tea tribes, performed during the harvest season. It is accompanied by instruments like the Madal, Dhol, Taal, and Flute. Dancers perform in a circular formation with rhythmic footwork and swaying movements. Women wear colorful sarees, while men wear dhotis and kurtas. The dance symbolizes unity, inclusivity, and Assam’s rich cultural heritage, fostering social bonding and community celebration.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu’s public health department found Bhavani River water at Palaiyur village unsafe for drinking. Bhavani River originates in the Nilgiris of the Western Ghats and flows through Nilgiris, Coimbatore, and Erode districts. It is the second largest river in Tamil Nadu and a major tributary of the Cauvery River. The river meets the Cauvery at Bhavani after traveling 185 km. About 90% of its water is used for agriculture. The Bhavanisagar Dam, one of the world’s largest earthen dams, is built on this river.

Notes:
India has sent 26 tons of humanitarian aid to Honduras after Tropical Storm SARA. The assistance includes medical supplies like surgical items, glucometers, oximeters, gloves, syringes, and IV fluids. It also contains disaster relief materials such as blankets, sleeping mats, and hygiene kits. The aid aims to help the country recover from the impact of the storm.

Notes:
Clinical neuroscientists have treated spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) in a baby before birth. SMA is a genetic disorder affecting motor neurons, causing progressive muscle weakness. It has five types (0-4), classified by age of onset and severity. Symptoms include muscle weakness, especially near the body’s center, but do not affect involuntary muscles like the heart. It is caused by SMN1 gene mutations, leading to motor neuron loss. It affects 1 in 10,000 births and is a leading genetic cause of infant deaths.

Notes:
Dalibor Svrcina of Czechia won the the men’s singles title in the Maharashtra Open Tennis Tournament 2025, defeating Brandon Holt of the USA. The final was held at Mahalunge Balewadi Stadium in Pune on 23 February 2025. The tournament, an ATP 100 Challenger event, took place from 17-23 February with a prize pool of $160,000.