Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
Malaria caused over 400,000 human deaths in the year 2019. It is said to be causing highest number of deaths among all vector-borne diseases.
Researchers from Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS), and Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology have released the detailed genome of the malaria mosquito vector.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Abhyudaya scheme. It aims to provide coaching facilities to the interested candidates for competitive exams like NEET and IIT-JEE.
This scheme would provide facilities similar to that of Kota and Prayagraj to those in other parts of the state who are not able to avail those services. Over 50,000 students are selected under the scheme.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) announced that it will provide Rs 100 crore loan to Gurgaon-based hospital chain Medanta.
The financial assistance would aid the multi-speciality hospital chain in enhancing healthcare services and medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes staff training programmes on infection control.

Notes:
Giant Leatherback turtle are the largest of the seven species of sea turtles. They are found in all oceans except the Arctic and the Antarctic.
In the Indian ocean, they nest at Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Government’s proposal for tourism promotion and port development will threaten this species, which is accorded legal protection by listing in Schedule I of India’s Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Notes:
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has unveiled the draft blue economy policy in the public domain, inviting suggestions and inputs from various stakeholders.
The draft policy document highlights the strategy that can be adopted by the government to utilise the oceanic resources available in the country. It also has recognised seven thematic areas.

Notes:
Union Labour Minister Santosh Gangwar is to launch software applications for five all India surveys, being conducted by the Labour Bureau.
The Ministry will also release instruction manuals with questionnaire for five All India Surveys including All India Survey on Migrant workers, All India Survey on Domestic Workers, All India Survey on Employment Generated by Professionals, All India Survey on Employment Generated in Transport Sector, and All-India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet recently approved a Rs 12,195-crore Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for domestic manufacturing of telecom and networking products.
The products include switches, routers, radio access network, wireless equipment and other internet of things (IoT) access devices. With this, the total number of sectors stand at 13, for which incentives of 4 to 6 per cent would be provided by the Government.

Notes:
Recently, Scientists have recovered the oldest DNA on record. It has been extracted from teeth of mammoths found in north-eastern Siberia that existed to 1.2 million years.
This is seen as a major breakthrough in understanding the evolution of species and determine the characteristics of extinct species.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is to formulate the Space Entrepreneurship & Enterprise Development (SEED)”.
As per the Chairman of the ISRO K Sivan, the programme aims to provide early-stage encouragement programme to start-ups and MSMEs, which are keen on developing services related to space. ISRO will also let the companies use its facilities.

Notes:
Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram received their statehood on February 20, 1987, following the 53rd Amendment of the Indian Constitution in 1986.
On 20th January 1972, the North East Frontier Agency (NEFA) was renamed as Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh and on 20th February 1987 statehood was granted to Arunachal Pradesh. Mizoram was also a Union Territory from 1972 to 1987 before achieving statehood.