Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
Recently, the Central Board of Investigation (CBI) has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against two UK based firms Cambridge Analytica and Global Scientific Research.
The FIR has been filed after 30 months since probe was initiated against these two firms, based on a complaint by the IT Ministry. Investigation have revealed that the firm Global Scientific Research has illegally harvested Indian data and passed on to Cambridge Analytica for commercial gains.

Notes:
The Interpol has issued “Purple Notice” to all its member countries. The notice warns all the member countries against investment frauds via dating applications.
It has been stated that artificial romance is established with users of the apps in the initial stages and once a certain level of trust is achieved, criminals encourage users to join ponzi investment schemes.

Notes:
The Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh has celebrated recently its 50th statehood day on January 25, 2021.
In 1970, the State of Himachal Pradesh Act was passed in the Parliament and the state came into existence from January 25, 2071. It is the 18th Indian state to be formed in the country. Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar was its first chief minister.

Notes:
The Netherlands government played host to an online international Climate Adaptation Summit (CAS Online) on 25 January 2021, under the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Rutte. It aims to help the countries build a climate-resilient ecosystem back after the pandemic
Indian Prime Minister participated in the virtual conference and addressed the members. The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) released a “State and Trends in Adaptation 2020”, which said global funding must be increased ten-fold, to meet the UNEP’s climate risk mitigation data.

Notes:
India’s economist Jayati Ghosh has been chosen to be a part of UN high-level advisory board on socio-economic challenges in post-COVID-19 world. The board would make recommendations to U.N. Secretary-General for making response to the future, especially after the post COVID era.
Ms. Ghosh is presently a professor of economics at University of Massachusetts.

Notes:
Minister of Electronics and IT and Communications has recently launched virtual intelligence tool Tejas.
The tool can extract critical information for policy decisions thereby improving efficiency in government services. The Minister also launched a virtual portal to access routine office applications called ‘Work from Anywhere’ portal and ‘e-Auction India’.

Notes:
The West Bengal Transport Corporation in association with a heritage book store has launched a Young Readers’ Boat Library.
Under the initiative, children can choose from a selection of 500 titles in English and Bengali on cruising on the waters of Hooghly river on a three-hour-long trip.

Notes:
As per media reports, the Government has appointed an expert panel to review industry’s objections to the proposed ban on 27 widely used pesticides.
Former assistant director general of ICAR, TP Rajendran is to chair the committee, which will submit the report in next three months. The Government has proposed to ban 27 pesticides, which are said to be harmful to animals and humans.

Notes:
As per the Brand Finance’s Global 500 ranking, India’s Reliance Jio owned by Mukesh Ambani has emerged as the fifth strongest brand globally. The list is topped by WeChat followed by Ferrari and Russian Bank Sber. Coco Cola is ranked 4th in the chart.
Reliance Jio has achieved this fete, despite being founded only a few years ago in 2016.

Notes:
Every year, the 27th of January is observed as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It is a Memorial Day that commemorates the victims of the Holocaust, the genocide of European Jews by Nazi Germany, which took place between 1941 to 1945.
This date has been so chosen, because Auschwitz concentration camp was liberated by the Red Army on this date in 1945.