Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated over 57000 water structures constructed in Madhya Pradesh under ‘Jalabhishekam’ water conservation campaign.
These water structures were created during the Covid-19 pandemic period by linking the work with the MNREGA scheme. The water structures costing over Rs 200 crore have been inaugurated under the MGNREGA scheme and PM Krishi Irrigation scheme.

Notes:
The World Health Organization (WHO) in association with the European Union are launching the 40-million-euro COVID Vaccine programme in six former Soviet republics.
These countries are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Ukraine and Moldova. Also, it has been observed that the number of COVID positive cases in this region has been declining in the past.

Notes:
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has associated with a UK-based space agency for flood forecasting.
The national space innovation programme (NSIP) is a collaborative effort between the Government of JK, Oxford University, Sayers & Partners (SPL) and D-Orbit. This is expected to help predict fluvial flood risk.

Notes:
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is a statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology.
On the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, four young women fellows of National Science Academies have been awarded the SERB Women Excellence Award. The award includes a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for three years to pursue their research ideas.

Notes:
The Government of China has banned BBC World News from broadcasting in the country. This announcement has been made by the country’s television regulator.
China has accused BBC for making derogatory reports on the country about coronavirus and the persecution of ethnic minority Uighurs.

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:
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:
As per a communication issued by the President Ramnath Kovind, Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi was removed from her post.
This step has been taken amid a political crisis in the Puducherry Union territory and ahead of the assembly elections in April-May this year. The additional charge of the UT has been given to the Telengana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.

Notes:
The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’ is celebrated in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The country’s top cultural organisations including the Bangladesh Shilpa Kala Academy held programmes to celebrate the beginning of the spring.
On account of the Covid pandemic, the traditional programme of ‘Basanta Utsab’ at the Fine Arts faculty in Dhaka university was cancelled.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) between India and Mauritius.
This is the first trade Agreement to be signed by India with any country in Africa. The agreement aims to liberalise norms covering Rules of Origin, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Telecom, Financial services and Customs Procedures among others.