Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2024

Notes:
The RBI’s “Finances of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)” report analyzes data from 2.58 lakh Panchayats for 2020-21 to 2022-23, highlighting key findings. Panchayats heavily rely on grants (95%) due to limited own revenue sources like property taxes. Inter-state variations in devolution impact socio-economic outcomes. Inconsistent data poses challenges in assessing fiscal health. PRIs struggle with local tax revenue generation due to a limited tax base, administrative issues, and unclear guidelines. Revenue sources include Central and State government grants, and PRIs have the authority to impose taxes and fees.

Notes:
The Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) supports the SMART (Standards Machine Applicable Readable and Transferable) approach to enhance the readability of Indian standards. The initiative by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) prioritizes machine interpretability. With over 80% of BIS licenses going to small enterprises, the push for accessible standards aims to benefit sectors dominated by these businesses.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated development projects worth over Rs 19,100 crore in Bulandshahr, UP. The projects include a 173-km double-line electrified section on the dedicated freight corridor (DFC) between New Khurja and New Rewari. Goods trains were flagged off through a video conference. Additionally, Modi inaugurated a rail line connecting Mathura-Palwal and Chipiyana Buzurg-Dadri sections, enhancing rail connectivity between the national capital and southern-western and eastern India.

Notes:
A total of Rs 32.44 Crore was allocated for Pre-matric and Rs 387.27 Crore for Post-Matric Scholarships under the PM YASASVI scheme. Aimed at Other Backward Class (OBCs), Economically Backward Class (EBC), and Denotified Nomadic Tribes (DNT) students, it covers Classes 9-12, offering scholarships for top-tier education. Hostel facilities are provided for OBC students. Eligibility requires an annual income below Rs 2.50 Lakhs, studying in a Top Class School, and permanent residence in the respective State/UT. Entitlement ranges from Rs 75,000 to Rs 1,25,000 p.a., covering tuition and hostel fees. The implementing agency is the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Notes:
During the Republic Day parade, Arunachal Pradesh highlighted its Singchung Bugun Village Community Reserve, a 17-square-kilometer biodiversity hotspot near Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary. Established in 2017, the reserve safeguards the Bugun Liocichla, a critically endangered passerine bird named after the Buguns community. The Buguns, an indigenous group of around 2,000 people, inhabit 12 villages adjacent to Eaglenest. Community reserves, introduced in India’s Wildlife Protection Act, serve as vital buffers, connectors, and migration corridors between national parks and forests, ensuring biodiversity conservation.

Notes:
The International Literature Festival of Kerala (ILFK) commenced in Thrissur with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan emphasizing literature’s role in uniting humanity. Themed “Literature, culture and progress,” the seven-day festival organized by the Kerala Sahitya Akademi features global, Indian, and regional writers, including poets from Palestine and Manipur. The event aims at cultural renaissance, hosting 100 sessions with 500 participants and a book festival with 100 publishers.

Notes:
Two Kutia Kondh individuals, belonging to a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group in Odisha, have been invited as special guests to the Republic Day parade in New Delhi. Each year, the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs invites representatives from such groups for Republic Day events. The Kutia Kondh community, situated in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, is a significant part of the Kandha tribe known for their unique buffalo sacrifice ritual, “Kedu,” dedicated to worshiping their Earth Goddess.

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’s INS Sumitra, a Saryu-class patrol vessel, rescued hijacked fishermen off Somalia’s east coast. Commissioned in 2014, it’s the last vessel of its class, constructed by Goa Shipyard. Based in Chennai under the Eastern Naval Command, its primary roles include EEZ surveillance, anti-piracy patrols, fleet support, maritime security, and escort operations. The recent successful rescue underscores its vital contributions to regional security.

Notes:
Eravikulam National Park (ENP), in Kerala’s Idukki district, closing for the Nilgiri tahr’s calving season, hosts diverse flora and fauna. Declared a National Park in 1978, it spans 97 sq.km, featuring Anamudi, the highest peak south of the Himalayas. Famous for the “Neelakurinji” flower blooming every twelve years, the park experiences heavy monsoons. Rich in biodiversity, it houses species like Nilgiri Tahr, Gaur, Sloth Bear, and hosts rare butterflies and the world’s largest moth, the Atlas moth.