Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
India’s first pollinator park has been established in the city of Nainital, Uttarakhand. It has been developed by research wing of the Uttarakhand Forest Department.
The four-acre-park has over 40 species of butterflies, honeybees, birds and insects. The park aims to create awareness among people about the conservation of these species. It also aims to promote research on threats to habitat and impact of pollution on these species.

Notes:
Union Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan has recently inaugurated the country’s highest meteorological centre in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The centre located above 3500 metres, would provide localised weather forecasts and early warning for Leh and Kargil districts of the Union Territory as well as various tourist places.

Notes:
The Rafale fighter jets of India and France are set to carry out wargames named SKYROS in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
The exercise is to be organised in the third week of January next year. This would be the first major wargame of the Indian Air Force involving the Rafale fighters which were inducted into the service in August 2020.

Notes:
The famous French designer Pierre Cardin, who created an iconic brand in his name, recently passed away at the age of 98.
He licensed thousands of products in his name and they were sold across over several outlets worldwide. Beyond his designer clothes, he also licensed products like Perfumes, Makeup, Porcelain, Chocolates among others.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently approved to the sale of Akash surface-to-air missile systems to friendly foreign countries.
A high-powered panel for quicker approval to export of the military equipment was also set up, with Defence minister, External affairs minister and the National security adviser. Indian Government has earlier set a target of achieving defence exports worth USD 5 billion by 2024.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with the Indian Navy has conducted a successful trial of the SAHAYAK-NG.
It is the country’s first indigenously designed and developed air droppable container. The container, aided by GPS can carry a payload of up to 50 kg and can be dropped from a heavy aircraft. It is designed and developed by two DRDO labs and a private company ‘Avantel’.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister has approved to set up Multi Modal Logistics Hub (MMLH) and Multi Modal Transport Hub (MMTH) at Greater Noida.
The estimated cost of the hubs in the city in Uttar Pradesh is Rs 3,883.80 crores. As per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the projects are estimated to generate employment for about 1 lakh persons by 2040.

Notes:
The Kerala state Assembly has recently passed a resolution urging the Central Government to scrap the recent farm laws.
The resolution was passed unanimously with the support of the Opposition party, the United Democratic Front (UDF) also. The Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the resolution in the House which convened for a special session to discuss on the laws.

Notes:
Covishield is the vaccine candidate from Pune-based Serum Institute of India. It has been approved by a Subject Expert Committee (SEC) of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI).
Covishield is equivalent to the vaccine being developed by the Oxford-AstraZeneca. The United Kingdom also granted emergency use approval to the vaccine in the country.

Notes:
The Indian Army has created a new human rights cell for the first time in the history. Its aims is to provide more transparency and probity in its functioning in disturbed areas like Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast.
Major General Gautam Chauhan has taken charge as the first additional Director General (human rights) and will report directly to the Army vice-chief.