Daily Current Affairs Quiz: February 21, 2024

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: A

ANSWER: C

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: C

• International Mother Language Day is observed on 21^st February, every year.
• On February 21, 1952, four students got killed as they started the movement to make Bengali as the official language in Bangladesh.
  • The day was first proposed in Bangladesh in 1952.
• In 1999, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) designated International Mother Language Day.

The theme for International Mother Language Day 2024 is “Multilingual education – a pillar of learning and intergenerational learning

ANSWER: D

• The European Union has launched ‘Mission Aspides’, a naval mission to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea from attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
• The naval mission will send European warships and airborne early warning systems to the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters.
• The operational command centre will be in the Greek city of Larissa.
• Aspides vessels will have orders to fire on the Houthis only if they attack first and will not be authorised to shoot pre-emptively.

ANSWER: B

• In a monumental discovery reshaping our understanding of celestial bodies, scientists have uncovered traces of water on the surface of two asteroids.
• The study sheds light on the distribution of water molecules throughout the solar system
• It also offers tantalizing clues about the origins of water on Earth.
• It utilized data from the retired NASA mission, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
• The analysis of SOFIA’s observations unveiled distinctive spectral signatures indicative of water molecules on the asteroids Iris and Massalia.
  • Both asteroids are more than half a million kilometres away from our planet.
  • With diameters measuring 124 miles and 84 miles respectively, these asteroids serve as reservoirs of liquid water, potentially stored within silicate glass beads or bound to mineral surfaces.

ANSWER: A

• Khelo India University Games (KIUG), which is being hosted by northeastern states this year, started on February 17, 2024.
• The Games have begun formally in Guwahati.
• As many as 4,500 athletes are participating in the 11-day KIUG.
• A total of 213 universities from across the country will participate in the event.
• Mascot- Ashtalakshmi in the shape of a butterfly, symbolizing the Northeast’s aspirations taking flight.
• KIUG is a part of the Centre’s Khelo India initiative to promote grassroots sports and identify young talents from across the country.
• The participants will vie for a total of 262 gold, 263 silver and 297 bronze medals across 20 sports disciplines, ranging from athletics, rugby, swimming, and badminton to hockey and football, among others.

ANSWER: C

• Every year on 20^th February the World Day of Social Justice is observed worldwide.
• The theme of World Day of Social Justice 2024 is “Bridging Gaps, Building Alliances”.
  • The United Nations chose this theme to emphasise the importance of collaboration and partnership in addressing the world’s challenges.
• On 26^th November 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared that starting from the sixty-third session of the General Assembly, 20^th February will be celebrated annually as the World Day of Social Justice.
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) unanimously adopted the ILO Declaration on Social Justice for a Fair Globalization on 10 June 2008.

ANSWER: C

• The 11th International Puppet Festival was kicked off at Tagore Theatre in Chandigarh.
• The festival started with a mesmerizing performance by the Novosibirsk Regional Puppet Theatre from Russia, presenting the renowned puppet show “Petrushka.”
• The exhibition has featured live demonstrations of puppet making, offering a deeper understanding of the intricate craft behind these captivating creations.