Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar launched the Indo-French year of Environment along with his French counterpart.
India and France have environment projects being undertaken in Assam, Rajasthan and a project to be started in Jharkhand. The objective of this event is to strengthen Indo-French cooperation in sustainable development.

Notes:
The Budget Session of Parliament recently began with the address of President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament.
During the address, the President mentioned that the ‘Amrut Mahotsav’ will be observed in the country from this year, to mark commencement of the celebrations towards the 75th year of India’s Independence.

Notes:
According to the performance index compiled by the Sydney-based Lowy Institute, New Zealand handled the pandemic the most effectively.
India is ranked 86th in the index comprising 98 countries, which measures several key indicators including confirmed cases, deaths, cases per million people and deaths per million people. New Zealand is followed by Vietnam and Taiwan while Brazil is the worst performing country.

Notes:
In the Economic Survey 2020-21 tabled in the budget session of the Parliament recently, the Government has pegged in the country’s GDP growth rate for FY 2021-22 at 11%. The GDP growth for the current financial year has been estimated at minus 7.7%.
Economic survey is an annual document prepared by the Ministry of Finance under the guidance of Chief Economic Advisor. Krishnamurthy Subramanian is the present Chief Economic Advisor.

Notes:
Chauri Chaura is a town located near Gorakhpur, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to inaugurate the Chauri Chaura Centenary celebrations.
The historic Chauri Chaura incident took place on 5 February 1922 at the Chauri Chaura town in the United Province in British India. After a clash between the Police and a group of volunteers, the Police opened fire and the group torched the Police station. Gandhi withdrew the Non-cooperation movement after this incident.

Notes:
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India has the highest number of new cases of leprosy in the world annually.
India is followed by Brazil and Indonesia in the largest number of cases. In India, more new cases are reported from the rural belts of Bihar, Lakshadweep, Dadra and Nagar Haveli. January 31 is observed as World Leprosy Day.

Notes:
In the recent Union Budget, the Finance Minister announced that all social security benefits will be extended to gig and platform workers.
Minimum wages will be ensured to all categories of workers. All those workers will also be covered by the Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC). She also announced that women will be allowed to work in all categories and in the night-shifts with adequate protection.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed an external professional IT firm to carry out a special audit of the entire IT infrastructure of the bank
Earlier, the RBI had penalised the HDFC bank for repeated service failures in internet banking, mobile banking, and payment utilities. This step has been taken by the RBI using the powers conferred under the Banking regulation act, 1949.

Notes:
The Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh has launched the first Amputee clinic of India.
The ‘PGI Amputee Clinic’ aims to provide social, mental and physical support to its patients. It also aims to provide complete amputation patient care and provide medical care and rehabilitation of amputees who cannot afford the cost.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently inaugurated a new plant at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru.
It aims to double the production of the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, India’s indigenous fighter jet. The Defence Ministry also signed a Rs 48000 crore deal to procure 83 Tejas LCA from HAL. This is said to be the biggest indigenous defence procurement.