Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
The Ministry of Economy of Brazil has announced that it had defaulted on its capital instalment to the New Development Bank (NDB).
When the bloc was started by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa in 2015, Brazil agreed to contribute in capitalising the bank in 7 instalments. Now, the country has defaulted two outstanding instalments totalling USD 350 million.

Notes:
The Government of India has decided to form a committee to protect the language, culture and land of Ladakh.
The Committee will be headed by the Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy. It will also include elected representatives from Ladakh, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, central government, and the Ladakh administration.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a scheme for the industrial development of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) had proposed for a Central Sector scheme. It has now been approved with a total outlay of Rs 28,400 crore for 17 years, up to the year 2037.

Notes:
India recently launched the world’s first double stack long-haul container train. Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the train on the 306km-long Rewari-Madar section of the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC).
One such train carries freight equivalent to 270 high-capacity trailer trucks. The Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India is constructing the Western and Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh announces several welfare schemes for the state.
He also dedicated the January month to girl child through ‘Dheeiyan Di Lohri’ programme. He also announced to provide free sanitary pads for girl students of high schools and colleges. ‘BASERA’ scheme was also announced for slum dwellers.

Notes:
The Thane Municipal Corporation has taken a first-of-its-kind step and introduced a ‘period room’ in a toilet block located in the corporation.
One out of the ten stalls of the toilet block has been converted into a ‘period room’ with all required amenities. This step is taken to improve menstrual hygiene by breaking the stigma around the process.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is inaugurating the 16th edition of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on January 9, virtually.
It aims to encourage the Indian diaspora to be part of socio-economic development in India. The theme of this year’s convention is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”. President of the Republic of Suriname is to deliver the key note address.

Notes:
As per the recent gazette notification, a High-Level Committee, headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been constituted to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.
As per the Union Culture Ministry, the Committee will decide on the nation-wide activities for the one year long commemoration, starting from 23rd January 2021. Several historians, authors and family members of Netaji are among the members of the Committee.

Notes:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is set to raise Rs 1 lakh crore through asset monetisation.
As per the Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, NHAI would monetise highways under the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) mode in the next five years, for the process.

Notes:
Flipkart has announced an MoU with the Logistics Skill Sector Council (LSC), and launched the Centre of Excellence (CoE), to skill the workforce of the e-Commerce Industry.
LSC is an organisation established by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, through National Skill Development Corporation of India (NSDC) and Karnataka Skill Development Centre (KSDC).