Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
Scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have found a new mammal species in the country namely the White Cheeked Macaque, in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Macaque was first discovered in China in 2015 and its existence was not known in India before this. The White Cheeked Macaque has white cheeks, long and thick hair on the neck and a longer tail than other Macaques. It is the last mammal to have been discovered in Southeast Asia.

Notes:
In India, women representation of board seats increased by 9.4 per cent from 2014 to 17.1 per cent in 2021 as per Deloitte’s Women in the Boardroom report.
But women comprise only 3.6 per cent of the board chairs, down by 0.9 per cent since 2018. The report finds that globally, women hold 19.7 per cent of the board seats, which rose by 2.8 per cent since 2018. At the current pace, the world could expect to reach near-parity only in 2045.

Notes:
A Parliamentary committee has recommended increase in guaranteed days of work from 100 to 150, in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
They also highlighted that the scheme is a last “fall-back” option for many in the rural areas. The Standing Committee on Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, headed by Shiv Sena member Prataprao Jadhav tabled the report in Lok Sabha.

Notes:
India is the fifth largest exporter of millets in the world, according to 2020 data, with exports increasing at around 3 per cent CAGR in the last five years ending with 2020.
In 2020-21, India exported millets worth USD 26.97 million against USD 28.5 million in 2019-20. World export of millet has increased from USD 380 million in 2019 to USD 402.7 million in 2020.

Notes:
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewable power plants.
Recently, the Central government has set the target for replacing diesel with renewable energy in the agricultural sector by 2024.

Notes:
The Delhi government has notified a draft policy mandating ride aggregators and delivery firms to induct electric vehicles (EVs) while procuring a new fleet.
This step aims to reduce air pollution in the national capital by 30 per cent in the next two years. Aggregators and delivery services will have to ensure that 50 per cent of all their new two-wheelers and 25 per cent of new four-wheelers are electric by March 2023.

Notes:
Kiribati or the Republic of Kiribati, is an independent island nation located in the central Pacific Ocean.
The country had closed the borders for two years and managed to keep Covid away. Recently, as it reopened and the first flight landed, it is facing a challenge with the outbreak of the virus. India has sent a consignment of medical supplies among other Covid 19 supplies.

Notes:
Cholendra Shumsher Rana became the second Chief Justice of Nepal to face ‘impeachment’ procedure in Parliament in seven years over allegations of corruption
The Chief Justice Rana has been suspended pending final disposal of the case, and Dipak Karki, the senior most Judge in the Supreme Court has taken over as the acting Chief Justice.

Notes:
The Tata Group has appointed Ilker Ayci, former Turkish Airlines Chairman, as Air India’s Managing Director and CEO.
The decision is in line with the Tata Group’s plans to appoint an expatriate chief to run Air India, which it took over from the Indian government recently.

Notes:
The Central Government has constituted the Ken-Betwa Link Project Authority to implement the first initiative under the national river interlinking policy.
The policy seeks to bring nearly 11 lakh hectares of land under irrigation in the Bundelkhand region spanning between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. KBLPA will be headed by a CEO at the level of additional secretary to the Government of India and assisted by five additional CEOs.