Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
XV Corps (15 Corps) also known as Chinar Corps, is a unit of the Indian Army. It is presently located in Srinagar and responsible for military operations in the Kashmir Valley.
Kashmir valley is undergoing a 40-day harsh cold wave period known as “Chilla-i-Kalan”, which began on December 21. Recently, in a video, the soldiers of the Indian Army’s Chinar Corps carried a pregnant woman through heavy snowfall after they received a call for help.

Notes:
The 16th edition of India Digital Summit 2022 was organised by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).
The report, titled ‘Creating 10 million Digitally Enabled Micro-entrepreneurs’ was also released during the summit. The report noted that micro-entrepreneurs are a crucial part of Indian economy, both for job creation and contribution to GDP.

Notes:
Poet and activist Maya Angelou has become the first Black woman to appear on the US coin. The coin is part of the African Women Quarters program. For the last 90 years, the first US President George Washington was seen on one side and an eagle on the other.
Under the program, US Mint issues quarters each year between 2022 and 2025 featuring five different female personalities who have contributed to the country.

Notes:
Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Start-Up named ‘Swajal Water Private Limited’ started by IIT alumni for water purification.
The company’s patented system, ‘Clairvoyant’ uses Artificial Intelligence to optimise purification systems and predict future breakdowns. They have also developed clean drinking water solutions in the form of Water ATMS, which combines Internet of Things technology with solar energy.

Notes:
The Supreme Court appointed an inquiry committee under its former judge Justice Indu Malhotra to probe the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab.
The committee will also include the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana Court, the Director General of the National Investigation Agency or an officer nominated by him and ADGP (Security) of Punjab Police. The committee will look into the reasons for security breach and suggest safeguards are necessary for the security of the PM and Constitutional functionaries.

Notes:
Russia has developed and unveiled its Tu-160M strategic bomber also known as White Swan. Recently, the debut flight of the bomber was conducted successfully.
As per the Russian Military sources, the newly built Tu-160M strategic missile-carrying bomber has 80% of its equipment upgraded and is capable to strike enemy targets in remote areas with nuclear and conventional weapons.

Notes:
The Philippines has given a $374 million contract to BrahMos Aerospace to supply shore-based anti-ship missiles for the country’s navy.
BrahMos Aerospace, an India-Russian joint venture, produces Supersonic cruise missile ‘BrahMos’ that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms. India has already deployed a large number of the Brahmos missiles and other key assets in several strategic locations.

Notes:
A new species of rainfrog, discovered in the Panama jungle, has been named after Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg.
The species has been named as Pristimantis gretathunbergae, or popularly known as the Greta Thunberg Rainfrog. Though the frog was originally discovered in 2012, recent DNA analysis confirmed that the frog is a new species.

Notes:
The Defence Ministry has set up an online portal named ‘Raksha Pension Shikayat Nivaran Portal’. It aims to resolve pension-related grievances of ex-servicemen (ESM) and their dependents.
The Minister also announced that the Ministry has allotted ₹320 crore to Armed Forces Flag Day Fund (AFFDF) to clear all backlog of pending applications for welfare schemes. The measures were announced on the occasion of Armed Forces Veterans Day, celebrated on January 14.

Notes:
A team of researchers from Kerala and Brazil have identified a new species of a rare, deep-sea mollusc named ‘Xylophaga nandani’.
The mollusc belonging to the family Xylophagaidae has been identified from the eastern Arabian Sea. The wood-boring, tiny species has been named after Proffessor Bijoy Nandan, Dean, faculty of Marine Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT)