Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
A team of astronomers has discovered a new planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the Sun.
The planet named ‘Proxima d’, is the third detected in the system. It is among the lightest of the exo-planets discovered so far. The astronomers used the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT) in Chile to spot this exo-planet.

Notes:
India is placed third in the globe on the US Green Building Council’s (USGBC) 2021 global list for sustainable spaces.
It is a ranking of the top 10 nations and areas outside of the United States for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 2021. India has 1,649 LEED certified buildings with a total area of 46.2 million gross square metres, with a 10% rise in LEED certified space since 2020.

Notes:
Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been elected to a second term as Germany’s President. A special assembly voted the veteran politician, to the President Post.
Steinmeier was elected by secret ballot by a majority of the assembly for another five years. German presidents are elected by special assemblies comprising lawmakers and hundreds of other prominent citizens.

Notes:
The Lassa fever-causing virus is found in West Africa and was first discovered in 1969 in Lassa, Nigeria. The fever is spread by rats.
It is primarily found in countries in West Africa including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, and Nigeria where it is endemic. Recently, three persons were diagnosed with Lassa fever in the UK and died. The cases have been linked to travel to West African countries.

Notes:
UK has announced to be the co-host of an upcoming United Nations virtual pledging summit to address the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
As per the UK government, the virtual pledging conference is aimed to help the UN raise USD 4.4 billion for Afghanistan. It is the largest amount the UN has ever requested for a single country.

Notes:
Using the SOAR (Southern Astrophysical Research) Telescope in Chile, astronomers have confirmed that the asteroid 2020 XL5 is an Earth Trojan.
Earth Trojan is an Earth companion following the same path around the Sun as Earth does. 2020 XL5 was discovered in 2020 by the Pan-STARRS1 survey. Study shows that it is much larger than the only other Earth Trojan known.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the setting up of a G20 Secretariat and its reporting structures. It aims to handle work related to various aspects of India’s G20 Presidency starting from December 1, 2022 to November 30, 2023.
The Secretariat will be guided by an apex committee headed by Prime Minister, and comprising the Finance Minister, Home Minister, External Affairs Minister, and G20 Sherpa (Commerce & Industry Minister).

Notes:
T-49 of length 12.758 km will the longest tunnel of Indian Railways once completed, surpassing Peer Panjal Tunnel of 11.2 km length constructed by USBRL on the Banihal-Qazigund section.
Recently, the main tunnel of T-49 between Sumber and Arpinchala station of Katra-Banihal section of Udhampur- Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project has been connected successfully. The work of the stretch of 111 km between Katra Banihal is under progress.

Notes:
Former Chief of Navy Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, who retired last year, has been appointed as the country’s first National Maritime Security Coordinator (NMSC).
NMSC will be part of the National Security Council Secretariat, and will report to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. NMSC was proposed after the 26/11 terror attacks. His responsibility is coordinating between all the agencies involved in maritime security and maritime civil issues.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated Asia’s biggest Bio-CNG plant in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore.
The Bio-CNG plant has been set up based on the concept of waste-to-wealth innovation in Indore, India’s cleanest city. It has a capacity of 550 MT per day, claimed to be the highest in Asia.