Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
Nigerian American economist Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has been appointed as the new director-general of World Trade Organization (WTO). With this appointment, she becomes the first African women to be the Chief of WTO.
WTO is an intergovernmental organization that is regulates the trade between nations. It is headquartered at Geneva.

Notes:
Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot released the third edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary.
This edition has 10,000 terms of daily use and technical terms including academic, legal, medical terms. The second edition of the dictionary released in 2019 had 6,000 terms and the first edition released in 2018 had 3,000 terms.

Notes:
Iran and Russia are organising a two-day navy exercise called “Iran-Russia Maritime Security Belt 2021” in the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
India has joined the exercise with a select group of vessels and forces. The drill will cover an area of 17,000 square kilometres and will include shooting at sea and air targets and liberating hijacked ships, as well as search and rescue and anti-piracy operations.

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:
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:
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has built and delivered the 100th K9 Vajra tracked self-propelled howitzer. This is the last howitzer of the contract awarded in 2017.
This system has been built with technology transfer from South Korean defence major Hanwha Defense. The howitzer was flagged off at the Indian Army’s armoured system complex at Hazira in Gujarat.

Notes:
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced that the United States would pay the World Health Organization (WHO) USD 200 million.
The U.S. is the largest funder of the World Health Organisation, contributing over 15% of its total funds. Former U.S. President Donald Trump had begun the process of withdrawing from the WHO, which has been stopped now by the incumbent President.

Notes:
Patanjali Ayurved, based at Haridwar, has developed a medicine named Coronil. This medicine has received a certification from Ministry of Ayush, as per World Health Organization (WHO) certification scheme.
The medicine has received “Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product” (CoPP) from the Ayush section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation. Now, the medicine can be exported to nearly 150 countries.

Notes:
The Indian and Indonesian Navies undertook a conducted Passage Exercise (PASSEX) Military exercise in the Arabian sea.
The exercise aims to enhance operational interoperability and overall cooperation between the two navies. Indian naval ship INS Talwar and Indonesian Navy’s multirole corvette KRI Bung Tomo participated in the exercise.