Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
Davos Agenda is the online event of World Economic Forum’s annual meeting held at Davos, Switzerland. The rich and powerful of the world are said to be the participants.
This year, the five-day meeting is scheduled to be held between January 25 and 29, in the virtual mode, on account of Covid pandemic. WEF’s ‘Great Reset Initiative’ is also to be launched during the meeting. Several Union Ministers and top businesspersons from India are to attend the event.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) has stated that, a record length of 534 km of national highways has been constructed in the country, in a period of one week beginning January 8th 2021.
The Ministry also released a data which states that 8,169 km of National Highways has been constructed in the current financial year from April 2020 to 15 January 2021, at a rate of 28.16 km per day.

Notes:
India has supplied two Mobile Harbour Cranes (MHC) to Iran’s Chabahar port. This is a part of a USD 25 Million contract agreement between India and Iran to deliver 6 number of Mobile Harbour Cranes to the port.
India and Iran entered into a bilateral contract in 2016 amounting USD 85 million for equipping, mechanizing and starting operations at Shahid Beheshti Port of Chabahar.

Notes:
The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), PSU under Ministry of Power, has recently signed an agreement with Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board.
Under the agreement, the PSU aims to provide telecom connectivity in the hilly areas of the state including Kangra, Una, Mandi, Kullu, Bilaspur, Sirmour, Palampur, Sundernagar among others. The state has been facing limited telecom connectivity due to rough weather conditions and landslides.

Notes:
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) is a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Textiles. It is a Mini Ratna company headquartered at Mumbai.
The Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) announced recently that it has planned to export at least 10 lakh bales of cotton during the current cotton season (October 2020-September 2021). Bangladesh would be the main focus country.

Notes:
In a recent annual study and winter count by Xerces Society, it is found that number of western monarch butterflies has been falling down rapidly. The count is found to be less than 2000 and the insect is said to be in the verge of extinction.
This butterfly is most familiar in North America and is a well-known pollinator species.

Notes:
The First Virtual Expo 2021 for R&D in processed food sector has been organized recently by the Union Ministry of Food Processing and Industries.
The expo is aimed to showcase the outcomes of projects supported by the Ministry through some of its leading food technology institutions. A portal displaying various researches undertaken in the food processing sector, was also launched during the expo.

Notes:
The 7th Edition of ‘MASCRADE 2021’- Movement against Smuggled & Counterfeit Trade has been organised by FICCI Committee Against Smuggling and Counterfeiting Activities Destroying the Economy (CASCADE).
Union Minister of Health and Family welfare Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated the event, which aims to discuss innovative policy solutions to curb counterfeit and smuggled products.

Notes:
Tesla Chief Executive Officer the world’s richest person at present, Elon Musk announced that he has decided to give away USD 100 million as prize for the best carbon capture technology.
Carbon dioxide, released in electricity generation and industrial processes can be captured using various methods including post-combustion, pre-combustion and oxyfuel. The International Energy Agency also stated about the role of carbon capture technology in net-zero emissions recently.

Notes:
India is to host the Defence Ministers of the countries of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in Bengaluru city on February 4, 2021.
This conclave will be organised alongside the upcoming Aero India in Bengaluru. The theme of the conclave will be ‘Enhanced Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Indian Ocean’.