Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
North Korea has confirmed that it fired a Hwasong-12 mid-range ballistic missile. This is the first time it has tested a weapon of that size since 2017.
Japan and South Korea detected the launch of the intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), which is the seventh weapons test done by North Korea this month.

Notes:
The Government of India has done ‘Conversion or Switch operations’ with the Reserve Bank of India, for an amount of ₹1,19,701 crore.
The transaction involved buying back securities maturing in FY 2022-23, FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 from the Reserve Bank and issuing fresh securities for equivalent market value. This conversion will help to reduce the redemption pressure on the Government.

Notes:
World Leprosy Day (WLD) is observed on the last Sunday of January. In 2022, World Leprosy Day is 30 January.
The “United for Dignity” campaign calls for unity in honoring the dignity of people who have experienced leprosy. WHO Goodwill Ambassador for leprosy elimination launched “Don’t forget leprosy” campaign. In India, Anti-Leprosy Day is observed on 30 January, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Notes:
Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine named ‘Spikevax’ has received full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration, for use in people ages 18 and older.
This is the second Covid-19 vaccine to receive full approval from the FDA after Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine, Comirnaty, which was approved in August. This is also the first product of Moderna to receive licensure in the U.S.

Notes:
US President Joe Biden designated Qatar a major non-NATO ally, during a meeting with the ruling leader of Qatar at the White House.
This is seen as a symbolic honour to Qatar for its assistance with evacuations from Afghanistan and in ending last year’s Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Notes:
Veteran Indian hockey goalkeeper PR Srejeesh won the prestigious World Games Athlete of the Year for his 2021 performances.
Sreejesh became the first man and second hockey player to win the award, after India Hockey women’s captain Rani, who won the 2019 prize. He played a significant role in the men’s team that claimed a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics.

Notes:
Ornithologists have recently described two new species of the flycatcher genus Cyornis and the white-eye genus Zosterops from Meratus Mountains of southeastern Borneo, Indonesia.
Cyornis is a genus of passerine birds, distributed throughout southern Asia, from the Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Zosterops is a genus of passerine birds containing white-eyes.

Notes:
Union Budget announced a scheme, under which the government will promote chemical-free natural farming throughout the country.
It is to be implemented with a focus on farmers’ land in 5 km wide corridors along the river Ganga, in the first stage. The Budget also announced that two lakh anganwadis will be upgraded and a national tele mental health programme will also be launched.

Notes:
Ministry of Commerce and Industry notified the second phase of the scheme for enhancement of competitiveness in the capital goods sector.
The scheme was notified with a financial outlay of ₹1,207 crore. It would consist of a budgetary support from the government of ₹975 crore and the rest of ₹232 crore would come through the industry contribution.

Notes:
Japan’s parliament adopted a resolution on the “serious human rights situation” in China and asked the Chinese Government to take steps to relieve the situation.
Japan has already announced it will not send a delegation to the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, following a U.S.-led diplomatic boycott over concerns about China’s human rights condition.