Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 08, 2025

Answer: B

National Opera Day is celebrated on 8th February every year to recognize the significance of opera in Indian culture.

• The day holds special meaning for music enthusiasts, theatre lovers, and art connoisseurs.
• The origins of opera trace back to the 17th century, with its earliest performances occurring in Venice, Italy, in the 1630s.

Answer: C

Recently, Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) were sighted in Gurez Valley for the first time in over 25 years, indicating ecological improvement.

• Gurez Valley is located in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district and lies near the Line of Control (LoC).
• It is known for its scenic beauty, meadows, and high-altitude passes.
• The valley was historically a part of the ancient Silk Route connecting Kashmir with Central Asia.
• The Kishanganga River, a tributary of the Jhelum, flows through the valley, providing water resources and supporting biodiversity.
• Kaobal Gali, at an elevation of 4,167 meters, is the highest pass in Gurez and connects it to the Mushkoh Valley in Drass, Ladakh.

Answer: C

The Indian Army changed the name of the Eastern Command headquarters, located in West Bengal, from Fort William to Vijay Durg mid-December last year in a bid to shed off the “colonial legacy”.

• Additionally, Kitchener House inside Fort William has been renamed to Manekshaw House, and South gate, formerly known as George’s Gate, is now Shivaji Gate.
• Fort William is situated in Kolkata, West Bengal, on the eastern banks of the Hooghly River, a major distributary of the Ganga.
• Fort William was constructed by the British in 1781 and was named after King William III of England.
• The original fort was built by the British East India Company under Sir John Goldsborough.
• The current fort was reconstructed under the supervision of Robert Clive after the British regained control of Kolkata following the Battle of Plassey (1757).

Answer: B

Bart De Wever leader of the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), has officially taken office as Belgium’s new Prime Minister.

• It is the first time a Flemish nationalist has ascended to the highest office in Belgium.
• Belgium is a country in Northwestern Europe, bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg, France, and the North Sea.
• Its capital, Brussels, is also the seat of the European Union (EU).
• Belgium is called the ‘Cockpit of Europe’because it is where the largest number of European battles have taken place in history.

Answer: A

The Cheetah family in Madhya Pradesh has grown, as two cubs were born to the cheetah Veera at Kuno National Park in Sheopur district on 4 February, with the addition of the cubs, the total number of cheetahs at Kuno has risen to 26.

• Kuno National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh’s Sheopur district and spans 748 sq km.
• It was initially a wildlife sanctuary established in 1981 and was upgraded to a national park in 2018.
• The park is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests and provides an ideal habitat for cheetahs.
• Cheetahs in India were declared extinct in 1952, and Project Cheetah was launched to reintroduce them.
• Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are the fastest land animals, reaching speeds up to 110 km/h in short bursts.
• Cheetahs mainly inhabit southern African countries, including Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
• Iran is the only country with the Asiatic cheetah, which is critically endangered and smaller than African cheetahs.

Answer: D

China’s Chang’e-7 lunar probe, scheduled for launch in 2026, will target the moon’s south pole to search for water ice and test cutting-edge technologies critical for sustainable human activities on the moon.

• The probe is planned to be launched by a Long March 5 rocket in 2026, from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on Hainan Island.
• The mission, set for 2026, includes a robotic “flyer detector” designed to search for water.
• The Chang’e-7 mission will consist of four key components. These include an orbiter, a lander, a lunar rover and a flying robotic detector.
• It is part of China’s long-term roadmap is to establish a permanent lunar research station by the 2030s.

Answer: D

Recently, Panama has officially announced its withdrawal from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

• President Jose Raul Mulino declared that the canal’s control is not negotiable. This move signals Panama’s intent to reaffirm its sovereignty over the Panama Canal which is an 82-kilometer artificial waterway connecting the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
• Also Italy, which became the first major Western nation to join the initiative back in 2019, officially withdrew in late
• BRI is China’s strategic initiative, launched in 2013 and aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.
• The aim is improving regional integration, increasing trade and stimulating economic growth.
• The initiative includes two principal components: the Silk Road Economic Belt and the Maritime Silk Road.