Daily Current Affairs MCQs : 10 January 2024 - Humanities/Arts MCQ

India will chair and host UNESCO's 'World Heritage Committee'. This will be the first time when India will chair this committee. This is a committee of UNESCO. The World Heritage Committee, in its 19th session, had decided to organize the 46th session in India (New Delhi) which is to be held from 21 July to 31 July 2024.

Recently, Chandubi Festival was organized on the banks of Chandubi Lake in the state of Assam. This festival is organized every year for five days from the first day of the New Year on the banks of Chandubi Lake. The main objective of Chandubi Mahotsav is to promote eco-tourism in this biodiversity hotspot of Assam.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated every year on 9 January. Various types of conferences are organized on Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the return of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi to India. Gandhiji returned to India from South Africa on 9 January 1915. This day was celebrated for the first time in 2003.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh launched the 'College Phagthansi Mission' while laying the foundation stone and inaugurating various development projects in Bishnupur district. The Chief Minister launched the 'College Phagathansi Mission' to improve government colleges in the state at a function held at Moirang College. The Chief Minister said that a total of 24 colleges have been taken under the mission and facilities will be developed in each college at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore.

Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria and Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh inaugurated a two-day regional conference on "e-Governance" in Guwahati. is organizing a two-day conference on January 9-10, 2024, involving eight North-Eastern states and four states of the Eastern region, in collaboration with the Government of Assam. This is the 26th regional conference organized by DARPG during 2014-2024.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne has resigned from her post. French President Emmanuel Macron has not yet announced the name of the new Prime Minister. Elizabeth Bourne, at the age of 62, became only the second woman to become Prime Minister. Possible candidates to replace Born include 34-year-old Education Minister Gabriel Attal and 37-year-old Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu.

Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami was honored with the Arjuna Award by the President of India Draupadi Murmu. Arjuna Award is the second biggest sports award in the country after Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. This time this award has been given to 26 players from different sports. This time, two legendary badminton players Chirag Shetty and Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy were honored with the country's biggest sports honour, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award.  

The Udanti Sitanadi Tiger Reserve, which was recently in the news due to issues related to encroachment, is located in the state of Chhattisgarh. The tiger reserve, situated in Chhattisgarh’s Gariaband district, has faced challenges due to illegal encroachment in its buffer area. The Chhattisgarh high court ordered the removal of encroachers from the reserve, following a legal battle where the court rejected the petition filed by the encroachers. This action was based on evidence, including ISRO satellite imagery, which showed that the encroached region was once dense forest until 2012. The issue has highlighted the challenges faced by wildlife reserves in India in terms of illegal encroachment and the need for vigilant conservation efforts.

China is pushing to expedite the construction of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state. This initiative aims to ensure smoother access to the Bay of Bengal and is being developed by the Kyaukphyu SEZ Deep Seaport Co. Ltd, a joint venture between the CITIC Myanmar Port Investment Ltd and the Myanmar government-backed Kyaukphyu SEZ Management Committee. The project involves the construction of the Kyaukphyu SEZ and deep sea port. China’s involvement in this project has strategic implications, potentially impacting India’s traditional role as a net security provider in the region and Beijing’s growing influence in Myanmar and the surrounding areas. The development of this SEZ is part of China’s broader efforts to expand its economic and strategic footprint in Southeast Asia.

The Orca, recently delivered by Boeing to the US Navy, is an extra-large uncrewed undersea vehicle (XLUUV). This new class of autonomous submarines is designed to perform long-duration critical missions and achieve undersea maritime dominance, particularly in changing environments and contested waters. The Orca XLUUV represents a significant advancement in undersea vehicle technology, with its ability to operate completely independently of a host vehicle and its large payload capacity. This development marks a major milestone in maritime and intelligence systems, showcasing Boeing’s decade-long pioneering work in the field of autonomous undersea vehicle technology. The Orca’s delivery to the US Navy highlights its potential role in future naval operations and undersea warfare strategies.