Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
The Government has approved the umbrella scheme of modernisation of police force for the next five years (2021-22 to 2025-26) with a financial outlay of Rs 26,275 crore.
More than Rs 18,000 crore of this money has been allotted towards security related expenditure in Jammu and Kashmir, Left Wing Extremism areas and the Northeast.

Notes:
For the first time, India’s Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched a satellite jointly developed by team of international researchers including from Taiwan.
INSPIRESat-1 stands for International Research and Teaching Satellite Project satellite one. It has been developed by scientists from universities of US, Taiwan, India and Singapore. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C52 mission launched an Earth observation satellite EOS-04 and two others.

Notes:
Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has organised ‘Darkathon -2022’ initiative to find solutions to counter dark-net markets.
The initiative aims at involving students, youth and technical experts to find effective solutions to counter drug trafficking through darknet. NCB is a Law enforcement and intelligence agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Notes:
Gati Shakti is a digital platform, which will bring 16 ministries together, for integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
Under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP), the government plans to develop 22 greenfield expressways, 23 key infrastructure projects including other highways and 35 multi-modal logistics parks (MMLPs), as per the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

Notes:
NITI Aayog inaugurated the first-of-its-kind initiative of ‘Fintech Open month’, to bring together regulators, Fin-tech professionals, industry leaders, start-up community on a common platform.
The overarching theme is ‘OPEN’, to achieve three objectives namely 1) encourage Open ecosystem across the Fin-Tech industry; (2) promote co-innovation and growth; (3) ensure financial inclusion and leverage new models like Account Aggregator.

Notes:
Department of Fertilizers has sought comments from all stakeholders on the draft Integrated Plant Nutrition Management Bill, 2022.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has proposed a law that empowers it to fix the maximum selling price of fertilisers and control its quality as well as distribution.

Notes:
A 2-day G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting was held in Jakarta which was hosted by Indonesia. India was represented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
During the meeting, G20 nations sought for a sustainable international financing scheme, aimed to protect countries against future pandemic and reduce gaps in the health systems in the member countries.

Notes:
In 2019, the University Grants Commission (UGC) launched a scheme ‘Paramarsh’ to address the issue. Under the scheme, some of the best performing institutes were identified to serve as mentors to at least five institutes aspiring to get accredited.
National Assessment and Accreditation Council, an autonomous body under the UGC has released new guidelines. It allows newer institutions, those with one academic year or more, to apply for provisional accreditation.

Notes:
The National Institute of Animal Biotechnology is an autonomous research establishment of the Department of Biotechnology. It is located at Hyderabad.
Researchers at NIAB have developed an electrochemical based immune-sensor for rapid and sensitive detection of the Non-Structural 1 (NS1) secretory protein, which is the biomarker for Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV). JEV is the leading cause of mosquito-borne encephalitis in South-East Asia and Western Pacific and is often misdiagnosed as Dengue.

Notes:
Eminent Kannada writer and poet Dr Chennaveera Kanavi passed away at the age of 94 after age-related complications.
The Karnataka government ordered police honours for his last rites. The litterateur won the Sahitya Akademi award for his book ‘Jeevadhwani’. He received various awards including Rajyotsava Award, Pampa Award, Nadoja title, Nrupathunga award, Sahitya Bangara Award.