DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS

11/02/2024 - 17/02/2024

Dayananda Saraswati
● Born on 12th February 1824 in Tankara, Gujarat, Dayananda
Saraswati hailed from an orthodox
Brahmin family.
● He initiated the first Arya Samaj unit
in Mumbai in 1875, later establishing
its headquarters in Lahore.
● A pioneer of advocating Swaraj, he
propagated the concept of "India for
Indians" as early as 1876.
● Dayananda Saraswati advocated a
return to the Vedas, promoting the
slogan "Back to the Vedas" and
endorsing the Vedic chaturvarna
system based on occupation rather
than birth.
● In 1886, he founded the Dayanand Anglo Vedic (DAV) schools to
realize his vision, with the first DAV School inaugurated in Lahore
under the leadership of Mahatma Hansraj.
● Among his notable works are "Satyartha Prakash" (in Hindi), "Veda
Bhasya Bhumika" (an introduction to his Vedic commentary), and
"Veda Bhashya" (a Vedic commentary in Sanskrit on Yajur Veda and
Rig-Veda).

Chhau (Chhou)
Chhau (Chhou) is an Indian semi-classical dance form that integrates
martial and folk traditions.
● Originating in three distinct
styles named after their
respective regions of
performance:
​ Purulia Chhau of West
Bengal
​ Seraikella Chhau of
Jharkhand
​ Mayurbhanj Chhau of
Odisha.
● Chhau performances depict narratives from Hindu epics like the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata, as well as other Indian literary
works.
Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010.
● Major Features:
● Traditionally performed during festivals such as Chaitra Parva and the
Sun festival in Purulia.
● Blend of dance and martial arts, showcasing mock combat, bird and
animal movements, and rural chores.
● Typically presented by male dancers in open arenas called akhadas
or asars, frequently during nighttime performances.

Antarctic Treaty 1959

● Signed in 1959 in Washington

by 12 countries actively engaged
in Antarctic science, the
Antarctic Treaty came into force
in 1961. The 12 original
signatories were Argentina,
Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway,
 South Africa, the UK, the USA, and the erstwhile USSR. The treaty's
aim is to designate the Antarctic Continent as a Demilitarized Zone,
preserved solely for scientific research.
● Coverage: The treaty covers the area south of the 60°S latitude.
Parties: Currently, there are 56 parties to the treaty, with India becoming a
party in 1983.
Secretariat: The secretariat of the Antarctic Treaty is located in Buenos
Aires, Argentina.
Claims:
● All historical claims made before the treaty are suspended; they are
neither recognized nor disregarded. No new claims can be made
while the treaty is in force.
● Seven countries had territorial claims before the treaty: Australia,
New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, France, Norway, and the UK.
Supplementary Agreements:
● Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Seals in 1972
● Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources
(CCAMLR) in 1980
● The Protocol on Environmental Protection in 1991

Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO)

● The journalist departed India

following a notice from the
Foreigners Regional
Registration Office (FRRO),
accusing her of "malicious"
reporting. Additionally, the notice
questioned why her Overseas
Citizen of India (OCI) status
should not be revoked.
 ● The Foreigners Registration Office (FRO) oversees
immigration-related matters for visitors to India. Foreigner registration
is mandatory for all foreign nationals, except overseas citizens of
India, staying in India on a long-term visa (more than 180 days). They
must register with a Registration Officer within 14 days of arrival.
Pakistani nationals must register within 24 hours of arrival,
irrespective of their stay duration.
● To facilitate registration, Foreigners Regional Registration Offices
(FRROs) are established in various regions.

Magnetic Levitation

● China recently reported that its

latest magnetically levitated
(maglev) train surpassed the
previous speed record during a
trial test conducted in a
low-vacuum tube.
● Maglev trains operate by
levitating from the guide way,
utilizing electromagnetic forces
between superconducting
magnets onboard the vehicle and coils on the ground.
● The system functions by leveraging the repulsion between magnets
and superconductors, leading to levitation.
● Additionally, magnetic forces are responsible for propelling the train
forward while maintaining its elevation above the tracks.

Swachhata Green Leaf Rating

 ● The Swachhata Green Leaf Rating scheme was introduced in
November last year by the Union Tourism Ministry in collaboration
with the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation..

● This government-led rating system targets

the hospitality sector, aiming to elevate
hygiene and sanitation standards in hotels,
resorts, and homestays to international
levels.
● However, the scheme has faced setbacks,
with no state showing interest in adopting
it thus far.
● Apart from a pilot project in Jammu and
Kashmir, there has been minimal response
from states despite multiple
communications from the Union Tourism Ministry, including the most
recent one in the first week of February.

GSLV rocket nicknamed ‘naughty boy’

● The GSLV, or Geosynchronous

Launch Vehicle, was once
dubbed the "naughty boy" of
Indian space due to its history of
failures. However, following the
successful launch of
GSLV-F14/INSAT-3DS, Mission
Director Tommy Joseph
described it as a "disciplined boy."
● This successful mission is a significant boost for ISRO ahead of the
launch of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR)
 satellite, scheduled in the coming months. NISAR will be launched by
the GSLV Mark-II.
● The GSLV-F14 successfully launched the INSAT-3DS meteorological
satellite on February 17 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in
Sriharikota. INSAT-3DS is designed for enhanced meteorological
observations, monitoring land and ocean surfaces for weather
forecasting, and disaster warning.
● The GSLV earned the nickname "naughty boy" due to at least four
out of 15 previous launches being unsuccessful, contrasting with the
high success rate of ISRO's PSLV and LVM-3 rockets.