Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
Indian Railways has successfully completed the 180kmph trial run of the new Vistadome tourist coaches.
The luxurious coaches were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai. The Vistadome coaches have see-through glass rooftops and wide windows offering panoramic view. At present, there are 13 Vistadome coaches that are operational.

Notes:
Malayali is a tribal group from the Eastern Ghats residing in North Tamil Nadu. They also form the largest Scheduled tribes in that region, with over 3.5 lakh population.
Giant Rock Bee Honey sourced from the Tribes was recently added to Tribes India Collection, as per the press release by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Over 35 new organic tribal products have been listed in the Tribes India outlets and website under ‘From Our Home to your Home’ campaign.

Notes:
The External Affairs Ministry has recently launched the Global Pravasi Rishta portal and application to connect with the Indian diaspora across the world.
The application and portal aim to create a three-way communication between the External Affairs Ministry, Indian missions and the diaspora, who are around 3.12-crore. While the app will be used by the diaspora, the portal will be used by the missions.

Notes:
The first three sets of a 10-metre short-span bridge, designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), were inducted to the Indian Army.
The bridges are manufactured at the Larsen & Toubro facility at Talegaon in Pune. The bridges were developed by the Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), DRDO in Pune. The DRDO has also developed five metre and 15 metre types of the bridge.

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has announced that subscribers can now use online mode also to exit from the National Pension System (NPS).
The National Pension System (NPS) was implemented with effect from the 1st January, 2004. It was extended to all citizens of the country from 2009 on a voluntary basis. PFRDA regulates the National pension system (NPS) as well as the pension sector.

Notes:
CSIR- National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST) has discovered an alternative technology to single-use plastics.
The NIIST scientists have developed a technology for manufacturing biodegradable cutleries from agricultural residues and by-products.

Notes:
As per the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the Interconnect usage charges (IUC) has been made zero from January 1, 2021.
IUC is the charge paid by a telecom company, for every call made from its network to different service providers. Prior to this move, the telecom company has been paying 6 paise per minute as the IUC.

Notes:
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) considered the condition of the sailors as a suo-motto step and asked the Ministry of External Affairs to take care of the crew members.
In response, the Ministry has asked China to provide urgent assistance to as many as 39 cre members of the stranded cargo vessels, which have been stuck for months near the Chinese ports of Jingtang and Caofeidian.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to provide a USD 100 million loan to upgrade the power distribution system in Bengaluru city.
Another USD 90 million loan will also be provided to the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company. The project also includes laying over 2500 km of fibre optical cables and moving distribution lines underground.

Notes:
India’s food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has capped the quantum of trans fatty acids (TFA) in oils and fats to 3% for 2021. The cap is further reduced to 2% for 2022.
Trans fat are found to increase the risk of heart attacks and death from coronary heart disease. The WHO has called all its members to eliminate trans-fat by 2023.