Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2021

Notes:
Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) is a think-tank under the Department of Science and Technology (DST).
It recently launched the ‘Seaweed Mission’, which aims to promote commercial farming of seaweeds and its value addition. It also launched the ‘Saksham’ job portal, which will help eliminate middlemen and labour contractors. It also provides skill cards for various types of workers.

Notes:
The Government of India has launched the ‘The India Toy Fair 2021’, to promote domestic manufacturing of toys.
It is to be held as a digitally accessible exhibition and platform to connect various stakeholders of Toy industry. The programme is scheduled from 27th February to 2nd March 2021. Webinars by State Governments, Knowledge sessions and Competitions are being planned.

Notes:
Pakistan recently conducted a successful test-firing of a surface-to-surface cruise missile named ‘Babar’, which can strike targets up to 450 kilometres.
Pakistan Navy is also organising a multilateral maritime Exercise Aman, which is being participated by as many as 46 countries including US, China, Russia, UK, Turkey, Iran, Indonesia.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has recently unveiled the draft “Humans in space policy 2021”.
The policy will be sent to the government for approval. The policy seeks to facilitate start-ups and the local industry to build technologies for its human space programme. ISRO has also set up a two-member team to study the technologies needed for the mission.

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:
Grand Anicut Canal, also called as ‘Kallanai’ is said to be the oldest water regulating structure in the world, constructed in the 2nd century A.D by the Chola King Karikal Cholan.
Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernization of the Grand Anicut Canal System. The project is to be taken up at a cost of Rs 2,640 crores. He also inaugurated the 1000-Crore Discovery Campus in IIT, Chennai.

Notes:
Olympus Mons is the largest volcano in the solar system present in the planet of Mars. It is a large shield volcano, which is over two times the height of Mount Everest above sea level.
The UAE’s “Hope” Mars probe sent back its first image of Mars, after the spacecraft successfully entered the planet’s orbit. The probe recently captured the Olympus Mons volcano, taken from an altitude of 24,700 kilometres above the Martian surface.

Notes:
Arribada is a term used to describe the mass migration of sea turtles, where large groups of females assemble at a nesting site on the beach.
Recently, the Olive Ridley turtles have started laying eggs in the beach in this nesting season. The nesting season which usually begins in November was delayed by a few weeks this year, due to changes in climate conditions due to the cyclones Nivar and Burevi.

Notes:
The “Anti radicalism bill” of France, that aims to strengthen oversite of mosques, schools and sports clubs has been put to vote in the nation’s law making assembly.
The bill has been proposed to rid France of radical Islamists and ensure respect for French value. This is considered to be President Emmanuel Macron’s landmark project.

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.