These current affairs today are a part of our daily current affairs. We cover a wide range of topics from state, national, and international news that are relevant and important for competitive exams. Our team prepares today’s current affairs after going through many newspapers, such as The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, PRS, etc.
Scroll down for current affairs for 24 Jan 2024.
Ayodhya’s Ram Temple embraces the Nagara architectural style.
- Historical Emergence: Nagara style originated in 5th-century CE northern India, during the late Gupta period.
- Debates on Terminology: Scholars debate the classification of Nagara and Dravida as distinct “styles” or “classical languages.”
- Key Features: Nagara temples include elevated platforms, towering shikharas symbolizing Mount Meru, and circumambulation passageways.
- Architectural Modes: Nagara temples exhibit diversity with five identified modes – Valabhi, Phamsana, Latina, Shekhari, and Bhumija.
- Contrast with Dravida: Nagara temples differ from Dravida vimana spires, with generally larger shikharas and a lack of encircling walls.
- Ayodhya’s Design Fusion: The Ram Temple combines Nagara and Dravida elements, with a reference to Dravida style in the perimeter wall.
- Inspiration Source: The main shikhara draws inspiration from the 5th-century Gupta period Mukteshvara Temple in Madhya Pradesh.
- Materials Used: Shikharas are crafted from stone, incorporating marble, carved sandstone, and Rajasthani pink stone.
- Height and Scale: Shikharas amplify the sanctum’s height over sevenfold, reaching an impressive 161 feet.
- Evolution of Style: Surrounding smaller shikharas demonstrate the blending of earlier and later sub-trends in Nagara style.
- Iconography: The temple features deity images, including Shri Ram and other revered figures spanning Hindu history.
- Cultural Legacy: The temple pays homage to Nagara style, representing India’s diverse Hindu religio-cultural legacy over 15 centuries.
Modi’s Ayodhya Inauguration
- Modi to inaugurate Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir on January 22, 2024, echoing the 1950 Somnath inauguration.
- Nehru opposed religious government association in 1950, paralleling Modi’s event.
- Somnath faced destruction by Muslim invaders, later restored by rulers like Akbar, then demolished by Aurangzeb in 1706.
- Ellenborough’s 1842 claim of returning Somnath’s gates fueled Hindu nationalist sentiments.
- Post-independence, Sardar Patel prioritized Somnath’s reconstruction.
- Nehru opposed President Prasad’s 1951 participation in Somnath’s inauguration, advocating for secular government detachment.
- Modi’s inauguration parallels historical events, signifying a departure from Nehru’s secular stance.
- Both Ayodhya and Somnath aim to rectify historical Muslim crimes against Hindus.
- Persistent debates over state association with Hindu sites continue, framing Ayodhya as part of a broader Hindu nationalist agenda.
- Legal disputes surround Ayodhya’s redevelopment post-1992 mosque demolition; Supreme Court rulings have not fully resolved tensions.
WHO’s AI Ethics Guidance
- WHO issues recommendations for ethical governance of large multi-modal AI models (LMM) in healthcare.
- Urgent oversight needed due to rapid, uncontrolled adoption of LMMs, especially in symptom analysis chatbots.
- WHO identifies five broad LMM application areas, including clinical diagnosis, patient self-diagnosis, healthcare administration, medical education, and scientific research.
- LMMs pose risks of false or biased statements, disparities in training data quality, affordability issues, over-reliance on automation, and cyber threats due to sensitive patient data.
- WHO advocates collaborative governance involving health system stakeholders, technology firms, civil society, and patients throughout LMM building and rollout.
- Governments advised to enact laws ensuring ethical compliance of LMMs and to fund public computing infrastructure. Oversight bodies recommended for vetting healthcare AI.
- Developers advised to engage diverse users early, design AI systems for well-defined tasks with explainability.
- Protecting autonomy, promoting wellbeing and safety, ensuring transparency, fostering accountability, enabling inclusivity and equity, furthering sustainability.
- World Economic Forum identifies AI disinformation and media manipulation as a societal risk, urging regulation for upcoming elections.
- UN experts warn AI may disproportionately affect lower-income countries and women, emphasizing the need for proactive democratization of access.
- EU passes AI Act enforcing fundamental rights compliance for election integrity.
- World Economic Forum report highlights quantum computing as a disruptive technology, emphasizing the need for upgrading security and data protections to prevent potential future cyber attacks.
Alliance for Global Good-Gender Equity and Equality
- Launched at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, themed “Rebuilding Trust,” with India’s active participation.
- Embodies the spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – aiming for a shared global future through cooperation.
- Key Outcome: “Global Good Alliance for Gender Equity and Equality”
- Launched with WEF’s support to promote best practices, knowledge sharing, and investments in women’s health, education, and enterprise.
- Originated from the G20 declaration, aligning with leaders’ gender commitments for global benefit.
- Extends G20 groups’ work in industry (B20), women (W20), and employment (EMPOWER) to impact communities beyond the G20.
- Advances G20 leaders’ gender-related commitments, particularly under the Women 20 working group.
- Industry support from over 10,000 partners, including Mastercard, Tata, and Serum Institute.
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation anchors the gender alliance.
- The alliance is housed at CII’s Centre for Women Leadership, with WEF and Invest India as network and institutional partners.
- Reflects India’s ethos of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” – “One Earth, One Family, One Future.”
- Aligned with India’s development mantra “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas Sabka Prayas,” poised to drive progress on global women’s issues.
Guinness World Record: 33,258 earthen lamps lit in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.
- Formation of “Siyavar Ramchandra Ki Jai” in anticipation of the Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya.
- Event occurred on Saturday night at Chanda Club ground with state minister Sudhir Mungantiwar present.
- Guinness World Records officials Milind Werlekar and Prasad Kulkarni certified the feat on Sunday morning.
- Program organized by Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Sarvajanik Vachanalay, witnessed by several thousand people.
India will host the 71st Miss World Pageant after a 28-year gap.
- The beauty extravaganza spans from February 18 to March 9.
- Julia Morley CBE, Chairman of Miss World, announced India as the host country, emphasizing the celebration of beauty, diversity, and empowerment.
- The Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai and the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi are the venues for the pageant.
- Key ceremonies include ‘The Opening Ceremony’ and ‘India Welcomes the World Gala’ on February 20 at Hotel Ashok in New Delhi.
- The grand finale will take place on March 9 at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai.
- Major competitions include the World Top Designer Award & Miss World Top Model in Mumbai, Miss World Sports Challenge in New Delhi, and Miss World Talent Final in Mumbai.
NASA restores communication with Ingenuity helicopter
- NASA has successfully restored communication with the Ingenuity helicopter on Mars following an unexpected communication outage.
- Ingenuity, a drone standing at 1.6 feet (0.5 meters), landed on Mars in 2021 alongside the Perseverance rover, achieving the distinction of being the first autonomous motorized craft to fly on another planet.
- Data from Ingenuity is transmitted to Earth via the Perseverance rover, and during its 72nd lift-off, communication was unexpectedly lost during a test flight on Mars.
- NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) managed to reconnect by instructing Perseverance to conduct prolonged listening sessions for Ingenuity’s signal.
- The team is currently analyzing the new data to comprehend the unexpected communication dropout during Flight 72.
- In this flight, Ingenuity reached an altitude of 40 feet (12 meters) for a brief vertical check of its systems, following an unplanned early landing in the previous flight.
- Communication between the helicopter and the rover ceased prematurely during the descent phase.
- Perseverance temporarily lost line-of-sight with Ingenuity, prompting consideration of driving closer for a visual inspection.
- The team must evaluate the new data before determining the feasibility of Ingenuity’s future flights.
- Ingenuity has surpassed its initial objectives, covering over 10 miles (17 kilometers) and reaching altitudes up to 79 feet (24 meters).
RBI grants approval for the appointment of Rajinder Kumar as the ED of Bandhan Bank
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted approval for the appointment of Rajinder Kumar Babbar as the Executive Director of Bandhan Bank for a three-year term.
- Babbar, 56 years old, will assume the role three months from the approval date.
- Currently the Group Head of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Tractor Finance Group at HDFC Bank, Babbar brings over 35 years of banking sector experience to Bandhan Bank.
- His expertise lies in leadership roles and a track record of creating and expanding businesses, demonstrating consistent growth in assets under management, market share, and profitability.
- The proposal for Babbar’s appointment will undergo consideration and approval by the NRC (Nomination and Remuneration Committee) and the Board in due course.
- Babbar has over 23 years of experience with HDFC Bank, where he handled leadership assignments in Transportation and Infrastructure Finance, Rural Banking, and Retail Liabilities.
- His previous roles included building and managing the Rural Banking Group for HDFC Bank, covering farmer finance, MSME loans, retail assets, and third-party products.
- Before joining HDFC Bank, Babbar worked with Centurion Bank, Bank of Punjab, and Central Bank of India in various roles and responsibilities.
- Babbar holds degrees in Bachelor of Science, LLB, LLM Corporate Law & Criminal Law, and is pursuing a PhD from NMIMS, Mumbai. He has also completed a leadership development program from IIM Ahmedabad.
UP’s GDP to grow at a very high rate in FY 2025
- Uttar Pradesh (UP) is projected to hold the second-highest weightage in India’s GDP by FY28, surpassing Norway, with growth opportunities in various sectors.
- The Centre’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme, along with state government initiatives, is expected to boost the spiritual travel industry in India.
- The impact on the Indian economy is significant, with UP government initiatives and the newly built Ram temple in Ayodhya potentially resulting in additional tax revenue of ₹25,000 per annum for the state in FY25.
- Spiritual tourism has transformed the tourism landscape in UP, leading to improved physical and digital infrastructure and increased travel to historical sites.
- UP, with its holy places and shrines, has experienced a notable upswing in domestic tourism, with an estimated 32 crore tourists visiting the state in 2022.
- Ayodhya alone saw a footfall of 2.21 crore tourists, contributing to total expenditures exceeding ₹2 lakh crore.
- Foreign tourists ranked UP as the fifth most visited state in India, contributing an additional ₹10,500 crore to the state’s economy.
- The tourism boom positions UP to reap substantial economic benefits, aligning with India’s goal of reaching a $5 trillion economy by FY28, with UP playing a pivotal role in this growth trajectory.
Today’s Current Affairs MCQs/ GK Quiz 22th January 2024
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