Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) launched the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evem Utthan Mahabhiyan (PM KUSUM) Scheme for farmers for installation of solar pumps and grid connected solar and other renewable power plants.
Recently, the Central government has set the target for replacing diesel with renewable energy in the agricultural sector by 2024.

Notes:
A team of Indian Scientists has recently identified the next-generation probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus Plantarum JBC5.
The bacterium promoted healthy aging on a model organism called Caenorhabditis Elegans. The team from Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, has also developed a yogurt using this probiotic bacterium.

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:
Mount Etna is an active strato-volcano located on the east coast of Sicily in Italy. Recently, the volcano has erupted causing a volcanic storm.
Volcanic storms can happen in particularly violent eruptions or with volcanoes located near the sea. Volcanologists observed volcanic lightning over the Mount Etna in 2021, after the one witnessed in 2015.

Notes:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman allocated ₹48,000 crore towards completion of 80 lakh houses under Prime Minister Awas Yojana (PMAY) in rural and urban areas during 2022-23.
Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs approved project proposals for over 60,000 houses across five states — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan.

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:
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar launched the Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNTs (SEED).
It aims to promote the welfare of De-notified, Nomadic and Semi Nomadic Communities. The Department of Social Justice & Empowerment has developed an online portal to ensure seamless registration and data storage of these communities

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:
In 2018, SEBI asked the top 500 listed companies to split the post of chairman and managing director by April 2020, after the recommendations of the Uday Kotak-led panel on corporate governance. In 2020, it extended the timeline by two years to April 1, 2022.
Recently, SEBI has made splitting of the post of chairman and managing director (CMD) in the top 500 listed companies voluntary.

Notes:
A team of researchers, based mainly at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a new Programming Language named “A Tensor Language” (ATL), for High-Performance Computers.
Usually, it is believed that there are unavoidable trade-offs between speed and reliability. But the new language maintains both speed and reliability.