Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 19, 2024

February 19, 2024

Consider the following statements:
1. The Global Pulses Conference was recently held in Bhopal.
2. India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses.
3. 2022 was declared as the International Year of Pulses.
4. Global Pulse Confederation is based in Dubai.
Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?

(A) 1 & 2 only
(B) 1 & 3 only
(C) 3 & 4 only
(D) 1 & 4 only

Show Answer

ANSWER: B

Consider the following statements:
1. Judge Daleep Bhandari has been elected as the President of International Court of Justice.
2. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations (UN).
3. The seat of the Court is at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands.
4. Its official languages are English and Cantonese.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(A) 1 & 2 only
(B) 2 & 3 only
(C) 3 & 4 only
(D) 1 & 4 only

Show Answer

ANSWER: B

Consider the following statements:
1. Gulzar and Jagadguru Rambhadracharya have been named the recipients of the 58th Jnanpith Award.
2. A statue of U Tirot Sing was unveiled at Indira Gandhi Cultural Centre, Dhaka.
3. Chars are sandbars or river ‘islands’ found in Uttar Pradesh.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(A) 1 & 2 only
(B) 2 & 3 only
(C) 1 & 3 only
(D) 1, 2 & 3

Show Answer

ANSWER: A

Consider the following statements:
1. The recipients for the Jnanpith award were decided by a selection committee chaired by the Prime Minister.
2. Tirot Sing was a tribal chief known as ‘the Hero of the Khasi Hills' of Meghalaya.
3. Chars are subjected to erosion on their upstream and deposition on the downstream.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(A) 1 & 2 only
(B) 2 & 3 only
(C) 1 & 3 only
(D) 1, 2 & 3

Show Answer

ANSWER: B

Consider the following statements:
1. Jnanpith Award is considered the highest literary honour in the country.
2. In Anglo-Khasi war (1829-33), U Tirot Sing used guerilla tactics to evade and strike the militarily superior colonial forces.
3. Mission Basundhara 4.0 will be started by West Bengal government to reclaim land in the char areas.
Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(A) 1 & 2 only
(B) 2 & 3 only
(C) 1 & 3 only
(D) 1, 2 & 3

Show Answer

ANSWER: A

Consider the following statements:
1. Sora, a new AI model that creates realistic videos from text prompts has been launched by Google.
2. Sora can create full videos in one go or add more to already created videos to make them longer.
Which of the following statements is/ are incorrect?

(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2

Show Answer

ANSWER: A

OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT has unveiled Sora, a new AI model that creates realistic videos from text prompts.

ABOUT SORA

Sora is an AI model developed by OpenAI –– built on past research in DALL·E and GPT models –– and is capable of generating videos based on text instructions
It can also animate a static image, transforming it into a dynamic video presentation.
Sora can create full videos in one go or add more to already created videos to make them longer.
It can produce videos up to one minute in duration, ensuring high visual quality and accuracy.
Sora is currently only accessible for red team members –– experts in areas such as misinformation, hateful content, and bias –– to examine critical areas for potential problems or risks.
- Additionally, OpenAI is granting access to visual artists, designers, and filmmakers to collect feedback on enhancing the model.

Consider the following statements:
1. Cartosat-2, ISRO’s second generation of high-resolution imaging satellites, was launched recently.
2. The satellite operated in a sun-synchronous polar orbit and produced high-resolution images primarily used in urban planning.
Which of the following statements is/ are correct?

(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2

Show Answer

ANSWER: B

Cartosat-2, the first of ISRO’s second generation of high-resolution imaging satellites primarily used in urban planning, has been deorbited, 17 years after launch.
The satellite, launched on January 10, 2007 and weighing 680 kg, operated in a sun-synchronous polar orbit at an altitude of 635 km.
It performed 14.78 orbits around Earth in a day.
Until 2019, the satellite equipped with over 12,000 coupled charged devices used its “panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras” to generate high-resolution images that were extensively used for urban planning, monitoring of road networks and water distribution, creation of land use maps, among others.
ISRO had expected the satellite to take about 30 years to de-orbit naturally.
- The agency, however, chose to lower the satellite’s perigee using leftover fuel in view of new guidelines on space debris.

The 6th regional dialogue of officials of security councils and national security advisers on Afghanistan, was held in

(A) Astana
(B) Bishkek
(C) Beijing
(D) Tashkent

Show Answer

ANSWER: B

Deputy national security adviser Vikram Misri represented India at the 6th regional dialogue of officials of security councils and national security advisers on Afghanistan recently.
It was held in the Kyrgyzstan capital of Bishkek.
Iran, India, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China, Turkmenistan and Pakistan are members of this regional security mechanism.

Sikkim INSPRIRES, aimed at fostering economic growth and inclusion, is a collaborative effort between the Government of Sikkim and-

(A) International Monetary Fund
(B) New Development Bank
(C) Asian Development Bank
(D) World Bank

Show Answer

ANSWER: D

Chief Minister of Sikkim recently launched Sikkim INSPIRES, a collaborative effort between the Government of Sikkim and the World Bank.
It is aimed at fostering economic growth and inclusion.
The programme focuses on providing better economic opportunities for women and youth through training and employment initiatives.
It marks the first direct partnership between the State government and the World Bank.
The initiative will engage nine government departments over the next five years to create an ecosystem for economic prosperity, emphasizing collaboration and capacity-building across various sectors.

Consider the following statements:
1. Stupas in Lahaul-Spiti district are called ‘chortin’ in local language.
2. The stupas here, mostly white, are made of stone and mud and are adorned with colourful fluttering prayer flags and Mani stones with mantras carved on them.
Which of the following statements is/ are correct?

(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both 1 and 2
(D) Neither 1 nor 2

Show Answer

ANSWER: C

Symbols of Buddhist belief and faith, over 750 stupas, dotting the mountain landscape of Lahaul-Spiti district, are in a state of neglect with no agency or funds available to restore their lost glory.
While some of these stupas, called ‘chortin’ in local language, are almost crumbling, others need a major refurbish as these religious symbols are an integral part of practically every village in Lahaul Spiti, where a majority of the population holds deep faith in Buddhism.
The stupas, mostly white, are made of stone and mud and are adorned with colourful fluttering prayer flags and Mani stones with mantras carved on them.
The locals take a ‘parikrama’ of the stupas for long life, well-being and prosperity of the area in general.
The purpose of erecting a stupa could vary as it could be in memory of a spiritual guru or a lama (Buddhist monk), dead family members or dedicated to Lord Buddha, Trilokinath, Goddess Tara or some other deity.
The stupas normally have gold, silver, precious stones like emeralds and corals inside them.
The top is adorned with a sun and moon and could have religious writings inside it.