Correct Answer :   Haryana

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The 36th edition of the Surajkund International Crafts Mela commenced in Faridabad, Haryana on February 3, 2023, and will continue till February 19, 2023 and is open to all from 10:30 am to 8:30 pm.

* Organised by the Surajkund Mela Authority and Haryana Tourism in collaboration with the Union Ministries of Tourism, Textiles, Culture and External Affairs, the fair is considered to be one of the largest craft fairs in the world, showcasing the richness and diversity of the handicrafts, handlooms and cultural fabric of India.

* This year’s (2023) theme state is the "north-east region", and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is participating as the partner nation, which includes India, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

* It was inaugurated by the Vice President of India, Jagdeep Dhankhar.

* He told India has become the fastest-growing economy in the world, and artisans and craftsmen have made significant contributions to it. “Earlier, our country was in 10th place in terms of economic progress, whereas under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it has now jumped to 5th place, and I am hopeful that India will soon be at the first position”...

Source : Indian Express

Correct Answer :   Bhupender Yadav

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Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav on Saturday (4th Feb 2023) launched the ‘Save Wetlands Campaign’ in the presence of Chief Minister of Goa, Pramod Sawant.

This campaign is structured on a “whole of society” approach to wetlands conservation, enabling affirmative actions for wetlands conservation at all levels of society and involving all strata of society.

The campaign, over the next year, will include sensitizing people to the value of wetlands, increasing the coverage of wetlands and building citizen partnerships for wetlands conservation.

Two publications were also released during the occasion, ‘India’s 75 Amrit Dharohar- India’s Ramsar Sites Factbook’ and ‘Managing Climate Risks in Wetlands – A Practitioner’s Guide.

The Factbook is a one-stop resource of information on the 75 Ramsar Sites, including their values, threats they faced and management arrangements. Meanwhile, the practitioner’s Guide on Climate Risk Assessment provides step-wise guidance on assessing the site-level climate risks and integration of adaptation and mitigation responses into the wetland management plan..

Source : The Print

Correct Answer :   Manoj Sinha

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Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday (4th February 2023) inaugurated the SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2023 at Aquaplex Crown at Bagh-e-Bahu, Jammu.

The fair is witnessing participation of women Self Help Groups from around 25 States and UTs across the country. The 11-day-long fair is first of its kind in the Union Territory of J&K.

The mega event will provide a platform for the rural SHG women to sell and promote their self-made products & create marketing linkages with various selling platforms. Seventy-five stalls and 10 food courts have been set up at the exhibition site showcasing crafts, handicrafts, handloom and cuisine.

The Self Help Groups will display handicraft, handloom and natural food items from different rural areas across the country.

This will be a National-level fair that will exhibit unique and famous indigenous products from various states and UTs. Several cultural events and plays on different Government schemes and campaigns will also be held during the fair...

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Kerala

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The Kerala government on Friday (3rd Feb 2023) announced a scheme of Rs 200 crore for developing green hydrogen hubs at Trivandrum and Kochi.

“A scheme of Rs 200 crore is announced for viability gap funding, grant, equity support to set up green hydrogen hubs in Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram over the next two years,” said K N Balagopal, Minister for Finance, in his Budget speech.

He said that an additional amount of Rs 20 crore is also earmarked for this.

“Kerala aims to become a 100 per cent renewable energy dependent state by 2040 and a net carbon neutral state by 2050. The state has a favorable atmosphere for the production of green hydrogen"

Green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable energy, can play an important role in eco-friendly development as hydrogen fuel can be used in long haul vehicles and ships to reduce carbon emission to a great extent...

Source : Economic Times

Correct Answer :   4th Feb 2023

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Popular South Indian playback singer Vani Jayaram breathed her last (4th Feb 2023) at Chennai. She was 78.

* The Government announced the Padma Bhushan award for the late singer this year.

* She did playback for over one thousand Indian movies and recorded over 10 thousand songs.

* she sang in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Gujarati, Haryanvi , Assamese, Tulu and Bengali languages.

* She had won National Film Awards three times and also was honoured with a lifetime achievement award by Filmfare (2013).

* She won State Government awards from the States of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisa and Gujarat. She was also the Best Female Singer at the NAFA event at New York in 2017.

Born : 30 November 1945, Vellore

Died : 4 February 2023, Chennai.

Source : AIR

Correct Answer :   Gujarat

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The Ministry of Tourism recently stated that the first G20 Tourism Working Group meeting will be held in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch and the delegates of Rann of Kutch meeting will be taken to Dholavira which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

As part of India’s G20 presidency, Gujarat will host the first Tourism Working Group (TWG) meeting in the state’s Rann of Kutch from 7th February to 9 February 2023.

About Dholavira :

* Dholavira is an archaeological site of immense importance associated with the Indus Valley Civilization.

* It represents the ruins of an ancient city of the Harappan civilization that was inhabited over a period of 1,200 years from 3000 BCE through 1800 BCE.

* Location : The site is located near the village of Dholavira, in the Kutch District of the Indian state of Gujarat.

* Dholavira is the fifth largest site of the Indus Valley Civilization in the sub-continent.

* It lies between two seasonal streams, the Mansar in the north and Manhar in the south.

* It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021...

Source : New Indian Express

Correct Answer :   February 4

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Each year on February 4, World Cancer Day is celebrated worldwide. It is believed to have brought everyone together in the fight against cancer.

World Cancer Day seeks to save millions of lives by educating the public, promoting awareness, and pressuring individuals and governments around the world to take action every year.

On World Cancer Day, we demonstrate to the world the value of teamwork and teach ourselves that every single person, no matter how tiny or large, can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

February 4th, is World Cancer Day 2023, which is being observed to create a cancer-free world. We should all pledge to play a part in this effort, regardless of who we are or how we behave, no matter where we are. Every year on February 4th, we observe World Cancer Day to increase public awareness of cancer prevention, detection, and treatment.

What is Cancer?
It is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells anywhere in a body. There are several types of cancer, usually named for the organs or tissues where the cancers form. The world has the highest incidence of this disease.

World Cancer Day History:

In 2000, World Cancer Day originated at the first World Summit Against Cancer and was held in Paris. At this Summit, several leaders of government agencies, and cancer organizations from around the world signed the Charter of Paris Against Cancer. It was a document of 10 articles that outlined a cooperative global commitment to improving the quality of life of cancer patients and to the continued investment in and advancement of cancer research, prevention, and treatment. Article X of the charter formally declared February 4 as World Cancer Day.

As per World Health Organization (WHO), if the incidence of cancer continues to grow at the reported rate, the number of deaths worldwide from cancer will increase to more than 16.3 million by 2040. Also, 40 percent of deaths from cancer are preventable according to WHO.

UICC was established in the year 1993. It has its headquarters in Geneva. It is a membership-based organization taking care of Cancer around the world and helping in medical research.

World Cancer Day Theme 2022-2024 : Them The theme for World Cancer Day 2022-2024 is Close the Care Gap.

Every single person has the ability to make a difference, large or small, but together the health community can make real progress in reducing the global impact of cancer.

Correct Answer :   Both 1 and 2

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The risk of global spread of poliovirus remains a public health emergency of international concern, a World Health Organization (WHO) committee has found after looking into updates from 10 countries. While the risk of global spread of wild poliovirus remains, the risk of circulating vaccine-derived ones is higher.

Polio is a crippling and potentially deadly viral infectious disease that affects the nervous system.

There are three individual and immunologically-distinct wild poliovirus strains

Symptomatically, all three strains are identical, in that they cause irreversible paralysis or even death.

However, there are genetic and virological differences, which make these three strains separate viruses which must each be eradicated individually.

How does it Transmit? : The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, less frequently, by a common vehicle (e.g. contaminated water or food) and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can invade the nervous system and cause paralysis.

It largely affects children under 5 years of age.

The oral polio vaccine (OPV) contains a live, weakened form of poliovirus that replicates in the intestine for a limited period, thereby developing immunity by building antibodies.

Source : Downtoearth

Correct Answer :   2 Only

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The Kashmir Valley has bucked the trend of Asiatic black attacks on humans rarely reported throughout the animal’s global range.

The Asiatic black bear is known as the Moon bear.

The Asiatic black bear has 7 subspecies, out of which we find the Himalayan Black Bear subspecies in India.

Features: The Asiatic Black Bear has a coat of smooth black fur and can be distinguished by a V of white fur on its chest.

Range: The Asiatic black bear lives in a narrow band stretching from south-eastern Iran to Myanmar, across the Himalayan foothills.

In India, it is found in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

Conservation status

IUCN Red List: Vulnerable

CITES: Appendix I

Wild Life Protection Act 1972 : Schedule II

Source : Thehindu

Correct Answer :   February 4

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The International Day of Human Fraternity has been observed every year on February 4.

* The International Day of Human Fraternity was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 21, 2020.

* This day, which falls in the middle of the International Interfaith Harmony Week is recognised by one of the world’s leading transnational organisations– the United Nations. 

* It underscores the importance of humanity coming together as a united community in times that are increasingly characterised by ethno-nationalistic, political, and economic polarisation.

* The motto is “harmony in difference.”

* “We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools.”- Martin Luther King Jr.

International Day of Human Fraternity History :

The International Day of Human Fraternity was instituted to celebrate the historic document titled “Human Fraternity for World Peace and Living Together“, being signed by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, and Pope Francis on February 4, 2019.

The document promotes the values of love, mutual respect, and cooperation between people of different religions and cultures and aims to create a world where everyone can live in peace and dignity. The day is significant as it highlights the importance of promoting interreligious and intercultural dialogue and cooperation as a way to build a more peaceful and harmonious world.

International Day of Human Fraternity Significance :

In 2023, the day will be marked in the backdrop of multiple conflicts whether on grounds of political ideology, territorial disputes, religious differences, or economic inequities. They mark a sorry human condition, marked by many divides and a lack of peace and harmony.

The International Day of Human Fraternity recognises the importance of compassion, religious tolerance, and respect for one another. These values promote peace and bring the human community together. However, these values are being threatened by division, inequality, and hopelessness. Hate speech, religious division, and conflict are increasing, and all societies and religions are affected by religious extremism and intolerance.