This is the current affairs of 29 February 2024. Here are questions and answers of daily current affairs for better preparation of competitive exams for government jobs.
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1. Who has been appointed by the President as the new Chairman of Lokpal?
a. Justice D.Y. Chandrachud
b. Justice Sanjay Yadav
c. Justice A.M. Khanwilkar
d. Justice Rituraj Awasthi
Answer: c. Justice A.M. Khanwilkar
– He is a former judge of the Supreme Court.
– On February 27, 2024, President Draupadi Murmu appointed him as the new Chairman of the Lokpal of the country.
– This position was vacant for almost two years, and Justice Pradeep Kumar Mohanty was functioning as the Acting Chairman during that time.
Judicial Members in the Chairmanship of Lokpal:
– Justice Lingappa Swamy (Former Chief Justice of Himachal Pradesh and Karnataka High Courts)
– Justice Sanjay Yadav (Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court)
– Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi (Former Justice of Karnataka and Allahabad High Courts)
Non-Judicial Members in the Chairmanship of Lokpal:
– Sushil Chandra (Former Chief Election Commissioner)
– Pankaj Kumar (Former Chief Secretary of Gujarat)
– Ajay Tirkey (Former IAS Officer)
About Justice AM Khanwilkar:
– Justice Khanwilkar served as a judge of the Supreme Court from 2016 to 2022.
– He was part of several landmark benches, including the decision to remove homosexuality from the category of crime and the decision on the validity of Aadhaar.
– He was also part of the bench that gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi (then Chief Minister of Gujarat) in the 2002 Gujarat riots.
– Lokpal is an anti-corruption statutory body. The head of this institution is commonly referred to as Lokpal in colloquial language.
– Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was the first Chairman of Lokpal.
– After his retirement, the President appointed Justice Pradeep Kumar Mohanty as the additional charge of Lokpal. Now, Justice AM Khanwilkar is the Chairman.
Who appoints Lokpal?
– For this, there is a committee of five people:
– Prime Minister
– Speaker of the Lok Sabha
– Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
– Chief Justice of India or a sitting judge of the High Court nominated by them.
– A prominent jurist, nominated by the President on the recommendation of four members.
Functions and Powers of Lokpal:
– Lokpal has jurisdiction over allegations of corruption against Central Government officials, Ministers, MPs, Grade A, B, C, D officers. Additionally, Lokpal can also investigate the Chairpersons, members, officers, and directors of any board, corporation, society, trust, or autonomous body.
– Lokpal is the top authority for investigating allegations of corruption against officials of the Central Government.
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2. Who has been appointed Director General (DG) in-charge of National Security Guard (NSG) by the Central Government?
a. Rakesh Pratap Singh
b. Daljit Singh Choudhary
c. Vinod Maurya
d. Vignesh Paswan
Answer: b. Daljit Singh Chaudhary
– The Director-General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Daljit Singh Choudhary, has been assigned the additional responsibility of the National Security Guard (NSG).
– He is an IPS officer from the 1990 batch.
– NSG is India’s premier counter-terrorism force.
– It is a federal contingency force against terrorism and anti-hijacking campaigns.
NSG
– Establishment: October 16, 1984
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3. Under which scheme did PM Modi lay the foundation for the redevelopment of 553 railway stations in the country in February 2024?
a. Amrit Bharatiya Rail Station Yojana
b. Amrit Bharat Super Railway Yojana
c. Vibrant Railway Station Yojana
d. Amrit Bharat Railway Station Yojana
Answer: d. Amrit Bharat Railway Station Yojana
Amrit India Railway Station Scheme:
– It was launched by the central government in August 2023. Under this scheme, 1300 railway stations across the country are to be modernized.
– Under this scheme, on February 26, 2024, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of 553 railway stations under the Amrit India Railway Station Scheme.
– The redevelopment of these stations will incur a cost of over 19,000 crore rupees.
– World-class facilities will be provided at these railway stations.
– These stations will function as ‘City Centers,’ connecting both sides of the city.
– They will feature modern passenger amenities such as rooftop plazas, scenic views, intermodal connectivity, improved next part of the station, children’s play area, kiosks, food courts, etc.
– They will be redeveloped in an environmentally friendly and differently-abled friendly manner. The design of these station buildings will be inspired by local culture, heritage, and architecture.
Note: On February 26, 2024, the Prime Minister also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for more than 2000 railway infrastructure projects worth around 41,000 crore rupees.
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4. PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Sikkim’s first railway station in February 2024, name it?
a. Sivok
b. Rangpo
c. Melli
d. Teesta
Answer: b. Rangpo
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the redevelopment of 553 railway stations under the ‘Amrit India Station Scheme’ on February 26, 2024.
– The first railway station of Sikkim, ‘Rangpo Railway Station,’ is also included in this, which will undergo a transformation.
– Modern passenger facilities will be developed here.
– The redevelopment of these railway stations will not only benefit local people and travelers but also strengthen India’s military presence on the Sikkim border with China.
Part of the Sevoke-Rangpo Rail Project:
– Rangpo Station in Sikkim is part of the 45-kilometer-long Sevoke-Rangpo Rail Project.
– This railway network will pass through areas near the China border, including Gangtok and Nathu La.
– Therefore, this rail project is crucial in terms of India’s defense preparations along the Sikkim-China border.
– This rail project was approved in 2008. However, due to delays in land acquisition and other reasons, the project was delayed.
– The work on the Rangpo Railway Station is being completed in three phases. In the first phase, the rail link from Sevoke in West Bengal to Rangpo in Sikkim, in the second phase, from Rangpo to Gangtok, and in the third phase, from Gangtok to Nathu La will be prepared.
Benefits to the Indian Defense Forces:
– Increasing railway connectivity here will directly impact the military logistics.
– The readiness of heavy military equipment and weapons to reach the border will become easier with the completion of this line.
– This will significantly reduce the time taken to transport troops from one place to another and facilitate rapid action in emergency situations.
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5. Name the astronauts of Gaganyaan mission, which was announced by PM Modi?
a. Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair and Ajit Krishnan
b. Angad Pratap and Shubham Shukla
c. Akash Thakur and Robin Sharma
d. Both a and b
Answer: d. Both a and b (Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair, Ajit Krishnan, Angad Pratap and Shubham Shukla)
– All of these are associated with the Indian Air Force.
– Prashant Balakrishnan Nayar, Ajit Krishnan, and Angad Pratap are group captains, and Shubhanshu Shukla is a wing commander.
– All four are undergoing training for India’s Gaganyaan manned space mission.
– The first manned space mission of India is expected to take place in 2025.
– One or more of them will fly under the Gaganyaan mission.
Selection Process:
– A large number of pilots had applied to become space travelers for this mission. Twelve had completed the first level of selection process by September 2019. Even after several rounds of selection, only four were chosen.
– The selected four astronauts are test pilots at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment of the Indian Air Force, Bengaluru.
– The final team for the mission will be chosen from these four.
Where are astronauts being trained?
– An agreement was made between ISRO and the Russian space agency in June 2019 for the training of pilots.
– After that, these pilots were sent to the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia.
– Their training took place here from February 2020 to March 2021.
– Some media reports suggest that one of these astronauts will also receive training from the American space agency NASA.
What did PM Modi say about the four astronauts?
– The Prime Minister said that these are not just four names or four individuals, but they are the four powers that will fulfill the aspirations of 1.4 billion Indians to reach space.
– He further said that after 40 years, an Indian is going to space, but this time it’s our time, our countdown, and our rocket.
– Before this, Rakesh Sharma had gone to space in 1984 with the assistance of the Soviet Union.
What will India achieve from the mission?
– If the Gaganyaan mission is successful, India will be included in a special list of countries that have launched their own manned space missions.
– Currently, only three countries (USA, Russia, and China) have achieved this feat.
– Gaganyaan is India’s first manned space mission.
If India succeeds in its mission, it will become the fourth country to do so.
Astronauts will go 400 km above:
– India’s first manned space mission is expected to take place in 2025.
– For the 3-day mission in ‘Gaganyaan’, the team members will be sent 400 km above the Earth’s orbit.
– After that, the crew module will be safely landed in the sea.
Gaganyaan Mission:
– The objective of the Gaganyaan mission is to send humans to the lower Earth orbit through an Indian spacecraft and demonstrate the capability to safely return them to Earth.
– ISRO is also seeking assistance from French, Russian, and American space agencies in the supply of some equipment.
– The announcement of this space mission was made for the first time by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.
– The Gaganyaan spacecraft will be placed in the lower Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 300-400 kilometers.
– The total cost of this mission is expected to be less than 10,000 crore rupees.
ISRO:
Chairman: S. Somanath
Headquarters: Bengaluru
Establishment: 15 August 1969 (53 years ago)
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6. The Navy and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized the largest ever offshore consignment of drugs from the sea near which state in February 2024?
a. Bihar
b. Tamil Nadu
c. Kerala
d. Gujarat
Answer: d. Gujarat
– On February 27, 2024, the Indian Navy and the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized approximately 3300 kilograms of drugs near the coast of Porbandar in a joint operation.
– The Navy reported that in this operation, 3089 kilograms of cannabis, 158 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 25 kilograms of morphine were seized.
– This seizure is said to be the largest interception of drugs at sea to date.
How were the drugs seized?
– According to the Indian Navy, inputs received from surveillance missions involving P8I LRMR aircraft and confirmation from the Narcotics Bureau led to the suspicion of a certain vessel, which was then directed towards by the Indian warship.
– Shortly after, the Indian warship intercepted the suspicious vessel and seized such a large quantity of drugs.
– The Navy stated that in terms of quantity, this is the largest drug seizure. The suspicious vessel was intercepted near the maritime boundary line off the coast of Gujarat.
– In this incident, five suspected foreign nationals have been detained. Their connection is being investigated amidst suspicions of links to Pakistan.
Quantities of drugs seized at sea
2024: 3300 kg
2023: 2525.67 kg
2019: 1156 kg
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7. Name the late political rival and opposition leader of Russian President Putin, who died suddenly in an Arctic prison in February 2024?
a. Alexei Navalny
b. Alexei Roger
c. Mahira Frederick
d. Vladimir Robert
Answer: a. Alexei Navalny
– At the beginning of February 2024, Navalny suddenly died in Arctic jail.
– For years, he was one of Putin’s harshest critics. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, and Western countries have held the Russian President responsible for his death.
– Very limited information has been revealed about his death. Initially, Russian officials refused to hand over Navalny’s body to his demand, Ludmila.
– His body was handed over to his mother eight days later.
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8. When is National Science Day celebrated?
a. 26 February
b. 27 February
c. 28 February
d. 29 February
Answer: c. 28 February
2024 Theme
– Science for Sustainable Development
Why is National Science Day celebrated?
– This day is celebrated to recognize the contributions of scientists to the development of the country.
– It is dedicated to the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’.
On February 28, 1928, Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman made an important discovery in the field of spectroscopy, which is known as the ‘Raman Effect’.
– In commemoration of this, National Science Day has been celebrated annually in India since 1986.
– C.V. Raman was honored with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for his work.
What is the Raman Effect?
– The Raman Effect explains what happens to light rays when they collide with or pass through different substances, and the effect on their wavelengths and velocities after scattering.
– Spectroscopy involves studying the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation.
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9. When was Rare Disease Day celebrated in the year 2024?
a. 23 February
b. 24 February
c. 27 February
d. 29 February
Answer: d. 29 February
– Rare Disease Day is celebrated every year on the last day of February.
– Its aim is to raise awareness about rare diseases.
– Additionally, it seeks to ensure access to medical facilities for individuals with rare diseases and their families.
– Around the world, 30 crore people suffer from rare diseases.
– It was initiated in the year 2008.
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10. Where was the country’s biggest textile event ‘Bharat Tex 2024’ organized in February 2024?
a. Delhi
b. Mumbai
c. Chennai
d. Lucknow
Answer: a. Delhi
– The India Textile 2024 event was organized in Delhi from 26th to 29th February 2024.
– Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated ‘India Textile 2024’, the country’s largest textile event, on 26th February. – Over 3000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, 3000 buyers, and 40,000 trade visitors came together for this event.
– This event has become a platform for members of the textile ecosystem to connect with each other and share their ideas.
– PM Modi stated that the value of the Indian textile market has surpassed 12 lakh crore rupees, compared to 7 lakh crore rupees in 2014.
– There has been a 25% increase in yarn, fabric, and garment production.
– FDI in this sector has doubled in the last 10 years.
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