Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 08, 2024

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: D

• Indian musicians Shankar Mahadevan and Zakir Hussain’s fusion band ‘Shakti’ bagged the Grammy’s award for ‘Best Global Music Album’.
  • The award was for their latest album ‘This Moment’.
• Zakir Hussain, the tabla maestro and composer, won the Grammy in the Best Global Music Performance category for
• ‘As We Speak’, on which Zakir Hussain collaborated with Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Rakesh Chaurasia, won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album.
  • Veteran flautist and composer Rakesh Chaurasia, the nephew of the legendary maestro Pandit Hariparasad Chaurasia, won two Grammys.

MORE ON AWARDS

• The 66th annual Grammy Awards 2024 are being held in Los Angeles.
• Taylor Swift won album of the year at the Grammy Awards for “Midnights”.
• Record of the year, went to Miley Cyrus for “Flowers”.
• Victoria Monét won best new artist.
• Billie Eilish won song of the year for writing the “Barbie” hit, “What Was I Made For?”

ANSWER: B

• The FIFA World Cup 2026 has revealed its complete match schedule, delineating the blueprint for a 104-game tournament showcasing 48 teams.
• Spread across 16 host cities in three nations—Canada, Mexico, and the United States—the event promises a riveting spectacle.
  • Canada, as co-host, will oversee 13 games, managing ten group-stage matches split between Toronto and Vancouver.
  • Mexico is slated to host three games, featuring ten group-stage clashes in Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey.
  • The remaining matches of the World Cup 2026 are designated for 11 cities throughout the United States.
• Final
  • The final on July 19 will be held at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, a renowned multipurpose venue with a history of hosting major events.

ANSWER: A

• The provisions of the Anusandhan Research Foundation (ANRF) Act have been brought into force on February 5, 2024 in line with the commitment of the Government to boost Research and Innovation as the fulcrum of growth and development of the country.
  • ANRF Act repealed Science and Engineering Research Board Act, 2008.
• It establishes the ANRF , that will seed, grow and promote Research and Development (R&D) and foster a culture of research and innovation throughout India’s universities, colleges, research institutions, and R&D laboratories.
• It is operationalized by Department of Science and Technology.
• The Governing Board of ANRF is headed by Prime Minister of India.
• The Government has appointed Abhay Karandikar, Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST) as the interim Chief Executive Officer of ANRF.
• ANRF is a government’s strong move to provide a high-level strategic direction for research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in the fields of natural sciences including mathematical sciences, engineering and technology, environmental and earth sciences, health and agriculture and have long-term effect, long term outcomes for each citizen.

ANSWER: D

• PM laid the foundation stone of multiple road upgradation projects worth over Rs 3400 crore, under which 43 roads including 38 bridges will be upgraded as part of the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Corridor Connectivity.

 ABOUT SASEC

• Established- 2001
• The South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) program brings together Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, and Sri Lanka in a project-based partnership that aims to promote regional prosperity, improve economic opportunities, and build a better quality of life for the people of the subregion.
• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) serves as Secretariat to the SASEC Program.
• As of December 2023, SASEC countries have implemented 86 regional projects worth over $20.54 billion in the energy, economic corridor development, transport, trade facilitation, health, and information and communications technology sectors.

ANSWER: C

• Former shooter Abhinav Bindra, India’s first Olympic gold medallist, will take part as Torchbearer for the Paris 2024 Olympic Torch Relay.
• As of May 2024, 11,000 torch bearers, including Bindra, have been chosen to form a relay to celebrate the arrival of the Games in France.
• The Olympic Torch Relay is an ancient tradition that precedes the Summer Games.
  • The modern iteration of the relay has been in practice since Berlin 1936.
• For Paris 2024, the sacred Olympic flame will be lit in Olympia, Greece – the birthplace of the Olympics – on April 16 before travelling to Athens.
• The flame will cross the Mediterranean on board the Belem, a three masted ship, to Marseille.
• After landing in Marseille on May 8, the Olympic torch will set off for a 68-day-long Olympic Torch Relay across France, traversing 65 territories before arriving in the French capital Paris, the host city, to officially flag off the Paris 2024 Olympics, which will conclude on August 11.

ANSWER: A

• The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is partnering with Munitions India Limited, a Defence Public Sector Enterprise, to develop India’s first indigenously-designed 155 Smart Ammunition.
• This initiative will help achieve indigenization in a critical defence sector.
• The objective is to increase the accuracy of 155 mm shell with a Circular Error Probable(CEP) of 10 metres.
• At present, ammunitions developed in India have a CEP of 500 m.
• Another key goal is to increase the lethality at the terminal impact.

ABOUT MIL

• Munitions India Limited comes under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India
• It is India’s biggest manufacturer and market leader engaged in the Production, Testing Research and Development and Marketing of a comprehensive range of ammunition and explosives for the Army, Navy, Air force and Paramilitary Forces.

ANSWER: C

• Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy today said that his government would set up a dedicated help desk for all young people living in the USA, and other countries, especially students, to ensure all their needs are met.
• The move was announced as the Chief Minister expressed concern over the recent deaths of four students in the United States this year.