Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

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:
A piece of amber with a well-preserved juvenile ‘Retinosaurus hkamtiensis’ was recovered from the near the Jade mines in Myanmar
The newly-identified lizard species was trapped in an araucarian tree resin about 110 million years ago. It is a representative of Scincoidea, a superfamily that includes skinks, armoured lizards and night lizards.

Notes:
Israel’s Ministry of Transport and Road Safety has announced the country’s first certification for unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs) to operate in civilian airspace.
With this, it has become the first country to allow drones in civilian airspace. For safety purposes, international aviation regulations prohibit uncertified aircraft from flying in civilian airspace.

Notes:
NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Reimagining Healthcare in India through Blended Finance’. As per the report, about 65 per cent of hospital beds in the country cater to almost 50 per cent of the population concentrated in some states.
The report also stressed that the number of beds must be increased by at least 30 per cent to ensure equitable access to healthcare facilities for people.

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:
India has cut its tax on crude palm oil (CPO) imports to 5 percent from 7.5 percent. The reduction in the tax, known as ‘Agriculture Infrastructure and Development Cess (AIDC)’, will widen the gap between the CPO and refined palm oil import duties.
This will make it cheaper for Indian refiners to import CPO. India is the world’s biggest edible oil importer.

Notes:
India and Australia have signed a letter of intent (LoI) on New and Renewable energy technology. It aims to scale up manufacturing and deployment of ultra low-cost solar and clean hydrogen.
The LoI was signed during the 4th India – Australia Energy Dialogue. The dialogue was co-chaired by Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh and his Australian counterpart.

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:
DefExpo 2022, India’s biennial flagship defence exhibition is scheduled to be held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat in the month of March.
More than 900 defence firms and 55 countries have so far confirmed their participation in the Expo. It is also claimed to be Asia’s largest defence exhibition. Out of the 900 exhibitors at the event, more than 100 are foreign players. The 2020 edition of the Expo was held at Lucknow

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.