Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
The number of killings as a part of ‘Witch Hunting’ is the second-highest in Odisha, after Jharkhand, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
The Odisha State Commission for Women (SCW) has recently sought stringent provisions in the Odisha Prevention of Witch Hunting Act 2013. It also demanded that branding of victims be treated as heinous crime and punishable in the State.

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:
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the Central Sector scheme “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”.
This umbrella scheme is designed to provide welfare measures to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging. The Ministry has allocated Rs. 365 Crore for the scheme from 2021-22 to 2025-26.

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:
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:
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:
Guru Ravidas was an Indian mystic, poet and social reformer who made remarkable contributions in the form of devotional songs, verses, spiritual teachings during the Bhakti movement.
February 16 is marking the celebration of 645th birth anniversary of the Guru. It is observed as Guru Ravidas Jayanti all across the nation. He was born in 1377 C.E. in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh. He actively opposed the caste system and promoted communal harmony.

Notes:
A US woman is said to have become the third person in the world to be cured of HIV. She is also the first woman to be cured.
The woman is a leukaemia patient and received a stem cell transplant from someone with natural resistance to the Aids-causing virus.  An umbilical cord blood transplant was done, as a part of her cancer treatment.

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:
“Pasuvula Panduga” (Cattle Festival) is a famous event held in Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh. From New Year till Ugadi (Telugu New Year) thousands of villagers take part in the “Pasuvula Panduga” in over 20 villages across the region.
It is also known as Mylara Panduga, where the bull is released into the set tracks in batches. It is similar to a running race and prizes would be given based on their performance. This is not similar to the Jallikattu festival of Tamil Nadu.