Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
The Union Ministry for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has launched the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme.
This nation-wide programme has been launched in partnership with nine Indian Institutes of Management across India. It has been launched under the SANKALP (Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion) scheme.

Notes:
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, also known as COP26, is scheduled to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November 2021.
The event is to be held under the presidency of the United Kingdom. British MP and President-designate of COP-26, Alok Sharma called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

Notes:
The Joint Conference of the 11th World PetroCoal Congress and World Future Fuel Summit was organised in New Delhi.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan addressed the joint conference. HE highlighted that the Public sector companies in the oil industry have invested Rs 34,000 crore to upgrade plants for producing BS-VI fuel.

Notes:
S. Chinny Krishna, the co-founder of Blue Cross of India, has been conferred with the prestigious ‘Prani Mitra’ award for 2021 by the Animal Welfare Board of India.
Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh presented the award to Mr. Krishna in New Delhi, for his lifetime service to animals. It is the country’s highest award for animal welfare.

Notes:
India is set to host a virtual South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meet to discuss on management and response of Covid-19 pandemic.
This health secretary-level meet virtually with other SAARC countries, will be conducted as a virtual workshop to exchange best practices amid the pandemic. In 2014, Nepal hosted a SAARC leaders’ summit, which was the most recent meeting of the countries.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to launch the Mahabahu-Brahmaputra initiative in the state of Assam. It aims to improve connectivity in the eastern states.
Ro-Pax vessel operations would be inaugurated between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari. The Prime Minister would also launch the foundation stone of two bridges, an Inland Water Transport Terminal at Jogighopa and various tourist jetties on Brahmaputra.

Notes:
According to the Institute of International Finance, the total amount of global debt stood at USD 281 trillion at the end of 2020.
It also revealed that the countries, companies and households raised USD24 trillion last year to tackle the economic crisis created due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The total debt was over 355 per cent of global GDP.

Notes:
The Smart Cities Mission, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, recently announced twenty-five shortlisted cities for the ‘Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge’ cohort.
This challenge is a three-year initiative aimed to support early childhood-friendly neighbourhoods under the Smart Cities Mission of the Central Government. Over 300 pilot projects were proposed in the challenge that would improve quality of life for over 12 lakh children.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently laid the foundation stone for Dhubri-Phulbari Bridge over Brahmaputra river.
It is a 19 km long 4-lane bridge to be laid from Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari in Meghalaya. The bridge will improve transport connectivity in the Barak valley. It also reduces the distance between the four North eastern states of Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram and Assam.

Notes:
External Affairs S. Jaishankar participated in a virtual ministerial meeting of the Quad, which is a group of four countries: India, United States, Japan and Australia.
The Quad association was revived in the year 2017, to tackle the aggression of China and enhance the strength of the Indo-Pacific regions. President Joe Biden has reiterated the US commitment for the same issue.