Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
The Haryana Cabinet approved the draft of The Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Bill, 2022. It will now be tabled in the Vidhan Sabha.
It aims to prohibit religious conversions made through ‘misrepresentation, force or by fraudulent means or by marriage or for marriage’ by making it an offense. The burden of proof lies on the accused and every individual converting from a religion to another will have to submit a declaration.

Notes:
Scientists in the United Kingdom have achieved a new milestone in producing nuclear fusion energy, or imitating the way energy is produced in the Sun.
A team at the Joint European Torus (JET) facility in central England generated 59 mega joules of sustained energy during an experiment. A kg of fusion fuel contains about 10 million times energy of that of a kg of coal, oil or gas.

Notes:
According to figures released by the US Census Bureau, India-US bilateral goods trade was worth USD 113.391 billion from January to December 2021.
This is the largest volume of goods trade in a calendar year in India-US economic history. India exported goods worth over USD 73 billion, and imported goods worth over USD 40 billion dollars. In 2020 trade fell to USD 78.2 billion due to pandemic, from the high of USD 92.1 billion in 2019.

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:
As per a recent research, Kaziranga National Park in Assam, is releasing more carbon than it is absorbing.
The National Park is home to the largest-population of the one-horned rhinoceros in the world. Usually, forests absorb more carbon than they release, which makes them carbon sinks. This is mainly due to decreasing rainfall in the region.

Notes:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Centre’s Gross domestic product (GDP) deflator projection for 2022-23 is 3 to 3.5 per cent.
GDP deflator is a measure of inflation and is the difference between nominal GDP and real GDP. Union Budget assumes a nominal GDP growth rate of 11.1 per cent for FY23.

Notes:
NASA has announced two new science missions namely Multi-slit Solar Explorer (MUSE) and HelioSwarm.
These two missions aim to study the sun’s corona and also measuring the magnetic field of the solar wind. NASA earlier announced the latest observations done by the Parker Solar probe on its way to the sun.

Notes:
The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) recently launched an agro ecology-based programme JIVA.
It aims to promote natural farming under NABARD’s watershed and wadi programmes in 11 states covering five agro-ecological zones. It aims to nudge the farming community towards natural farming.

Notes:
International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed every year on 11 February. The United Nations calls for women’s full and equal access to and participation in science.
The day also celebrates those that are leading action and innovation around the world. As per UN Women, only 33 per cent of researchers are women, and they are awarded less research funding than men, and are less likely to be promoted.

Notes:
Indian National Women’s Day is observed every year on 13 February to commemorate the birth anniversary of Sarojini Naidu.
She was also called ‘Nightingale of India’ or ‘Bharat Kokila’. Sarojini Naidu was the first woman Governor of Uttar Pradesh and the first woman ever to be elected as the President of the Indian National Congress.