Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
Pakistan’s Cabinet endorsed the country’s first-ever National Security Policy (NSP), which emphasised that economic progress should be at the center of national security.
The Cabinet has adopted the document which was approved by the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC). The Policy is a five-year policy document covering the period 2022-26.

Notes:
Insurance regulator IRDAI has announced that the state-owned LIC, General Insurance Corporation and New India Assurance have been identified as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2021-22.
D-SIIs are perceived as insurers that are too big or too important to fail’ (TBTF). Due to their size, market importance and domestic and global inter connectedness, their failure would cause a massive impact in domestic financial system.

Notes:
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, will likely ratify its membership of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
China-backed RCEP, the world’s biggest trade association, entered into force on January 1, 2022. Seven nations in Southeast Asia, as well as Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea ratified the pact earlier this year.

Notes:
India’s first indigenously developed Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) protein sub-unit vaccine for COVID-19 is CORBEVAXTM.
The vaccine, which has been developed by Biological E Limited, has recently received the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) approval for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and its PSU Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), have supported Biological E’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate.

Notes:
Veteran photographer Sabine Weiss, renowned for her images on the streets of Paris, passed away at the age of 97.
She was the last surviving member of France’s humanist photography school. The photographer moved to Paris after World War Two. She was also regarded as pioneer of Street photography, in which she captured the condition of ordinary people in Paris.

Notes:
SMILE (Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) is an umbrella scheme being formulated by Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
It includes two sub-schemes for the welfare of transgender persons and persons engaged in begging. The scheme will include rehabilitation, medical facilities, counselling, education, skill development and economic linkages.

Notes:
The Quadrantids, one of the brightest annual meteor showers, are active from December 28 to January 12.
According to NASA, approximately 80 meteors per hour can be seen with the meteor velocity is 41 kilometres per second. Though most meteor showers originate from comets, the Quadrantids originate from an asteroid named 2003 EH1. The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation of Quadrans Muralis (Mural Quadrant).

Notes:
Social reformer Savitribai Phule was born on January 3, 1831 in Maharashtra. Her birth anniversary was observed across the country.
In 1848.Savitribai along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, founded one of India’s first girls’ schools in Pune, Maharashtra. She also became the first Indian woman to become a teacher. She also opened women’s shelter for widows and Home for Prevention of Infanticide. She strongly opposed child marriage and Sati tradition.

Notes:
The ‘Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization (WTOAB)’ is a standing body of seven persons to hear appeals in disputes brought on by WTO members.
India has recently appealed against a ruling of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) trade dispute settlement panel. The disputed rule said that the country’s domestic support measures for sugar and sugarcane are inconsistent with global trade norms.

Notes:
A man was beaten by some villagers for allegedly cutting off trees illegally and selling them. The man was burned alive in front of police, for violating the ‘Khuntkatti’ law.
The ‘Khuntkatti’ system is a tribal lineage-based system of joint holding of land. According to the system, the Munda tribals would clear the trees and prepare the land for farming, which would then belong to the entire clan instead of a single person.