Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
The Yucatán Peninsula separates the Gulf of Mexico from the Caribbean Sea. It includes 3 Mexican states and portions of Belize and Guatemala.
The Maya civilization, known for its exemplary architecture and understanding of mathematics, originated in the Yucatan Peninsula. According to a new study, the Maya civilization may have had access to nearly 500 edible plants, many of which were highly resistant to drought. Earlier, it was believed that the civilization’s fall was due to drought.

Notes:
India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Indonesia’s foreign minister Retno Marsudi discussed several issues including the Aceh and Andaman Nicobar island connectivity.
In 2018, both countries decided to cooperate in connectivity between Andaman and Nicobar island and Aceh province of Indonesia. Sabang port is located at the entrance of the Strait of Malacca, which is considered one of the most important shipping lanes.

Notes:
Union Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw flagged off the Jan Shatabdi Express between Agartala and Jiribam connecting two northeastern states, Tripura and Manipur.
The Jan Shatabdi Express will run thrice a week and the journey will take six hours. Besides this, Tripura has Rajdhani Express, Kanchanjungha Express, Humsafar Express among others.

Notes:
Wolf Volcano, also known as Mount Whiton, is the highest peak in the Galápagos Islands. It is a volcanic archipelago in the Pacific Ocean.
The volcanic mountain recently erupted, spewing lava and clouds of ash over the Pacific Ocean. The cloud of gas and ash from Wolf Volcano rose to 3,793 meters above sea level after the eruption. The islands are part of the province of Ecuador.

Notes:
Pakistan’s popular hill station Murree was declared a calamity-hit area after at least 21 people, froze to death due to unprecedented snowfall.
Murree is a mountain town, located in the Pir Panjal Range, in the Rawalpindi District of Punjab, Pakistan. This unfortunate event occurred during the rush of tourists to the town. The Pakistan Meteorological Department had predicted heavy snowfall in Murree and Galiyat.

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 President of Sri Lanka has asked China to restructure its debt repayments, to help the country navigate its economic crisis.
In the last decade China has lent Sri Lanka over $5 billion for projects including roads, an airport and ports. China is Sri Lanka’s fourth biggest lender, behind international financial markets, the Asian Development Bank and Japan.

Notes:
The Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) is prepared and released by the Labour bureau. As per the recent report, the total employment in July-September 2021 was 200,000 higher than that in April-June 2021.
The proportion of female workers in the second round was also higher than that in the first round. The Survey assesses the employment situation in organisations with 10 or more workers in nine sectors of India’s non-farm economy namely manufacturing, construction, trade, transport, education, health, accommodation and restaurants, IT/BPO, and financial services.

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:
The National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) celebrated ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ with Kala Kumbh, organising artist workshops for painting scrolls, representing the tales of heroes of India’s freedom movement.
The scrolls also reflected traditional art genres such as Pattachitra, Talapatra Chitra, Manjusha, Madhubani, and Patua. 750 metres long scrolls painted by over 500 artists from across India, will be displayed during the Republic Day celebrations.