Current Affairs Quiz - February 2022

Notes:
The birth anniversary of Tilka Manjhi, a revolutionary freedom fighter and tribal leader was observed recently.
He organized Adivasis into an army and led the famous Santhal Hool in 1784, to loot the treasury of the East India Company and distributed it among the poor and needy during severe famine. It is referred to as Santhal Hool, the revolt of the Santhals.

Notes:
Environment clearance has been issued to as many as 60 mining areas and legal mining of Bajri (riverbed sand) is initiated in Rajasthan.
Four years ago, the Supreme Court banned the sand mining activities in riverbeds until a scientific replenishment study was completed. The apex court later appointed a Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to probe the issue of illegal sand mining.

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:
Several parts of Jharkhand are witnessing massive protests against the inclusion of Bhojpuri and Magahi as “regional languages” in district-level competitive examinations for government jobs.
The state government issued a notification to include Magahi, Bhojpuri, and Angika among others as regional languages in the district-level selection process through exams conducted by the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

Notes:
INSACOG is India’s SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium. It is a network of laboratories for genomic sequencing and surveillance.
Recently, India announced that is ready to extend its SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG) in the neighbourhood as part of the fight against COVID-19. This was announced by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla at the COVID-19 Global Action Meeting convened by the US.

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:
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:
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said February 15 would be commemorated as “Shahid Diwas” in memory of the 34 freedom fighters who were killed by police in Tarapur town of Bihar 90 years ago.
The Chief Minister said the Tarapur massacre was the biggest carried out by the British police after the one in Jallianwala Bagh in 1919. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the Tarapur massacre in his Mann ki Baat radio address of January 2021.

Notes:
The Union Government has approved the ‘New India Literacy Programme’ for financial years 2022-27 which will cover all aspects of Adult Education in the country.
The program has been announced in line with National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. ‘Adult Education’ will now be called ‘Education For All’. As per 2011 Census, the number of non-literates in the country (15 years and above) was 25.76 crore (9.08 crore male and 16.68 crore female).

Notes:
Philanthropist and founder of Microsoft corporation – Bill Gates has been conferred with Hilal-e-Pakistan, which is the 2nd highest civilian award of Pakistan. He is receiving this award as the co-chair of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
This award has been dedicated to him on account for the foundation’s continuous efforts to eradicate polio and to reduce poverty in Pakistan.