Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
Professor Vinod Sharma, the founder co-ordinator of the National Centre of Disaster Management, has been selected for this year’s Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar, under individual category.
The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management (GIDM) was selected under the institutional category. Minister Narendra Modi presented the awards in an event, commemorating the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Notes:
China has published trial rules for the approval of gene-edited plants. Gene editing involves altering the genes of a plant to change or improve its performance.
It is seen as less risky than genetically-modifying them. This move aims to promote the seed industry of China and ensure food security to its huge population. China has also passed regulations for approval of genetically modified (GM) crops.

Notes:
‘Koozhangal’ from India won the best film award in the Asian Film Competition section at the 20th Dhaka International Film Festival. It was directed by P S Vinothraj from Tamil Nadu.
Best Actor Award went to Jayasurya for Ranjith Sankar-directed film Sunny. The Best Script Writer Award went to Indranil Roychowdhury and Sugata Sinha for India-Bangladesh film Mayar Jonjal. The special audience award was given to Aimee Baruah Directed film Semkhor. India won 4 out of 17 awards.

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh is the northernmost state of India and shares borders with the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh to the north.
The state is celebrating its 52nd full statehood day on 25 January, as it was formed as the 18^th Indian state on the same day in 1971, with Dr. Yashwant Singh Parmar as its first Chief Minister. In 1950, Himachal became a Part ‘C’ state then became a union territory in 1956.

Notes:
Andhra Pradesh has notified Andhra Pradesh has 13 new districts under AP Districts Formation Act, Section 3(5). The total number of districts in Andhra Pradesh is now 26.
The state has 25 Lok Sabha constituencies and each is supposed to be made a revenue district. Only Araku constituency is split into two new districts. Manyam and Alluri Sitarama Raju, named after the legendary Telugu freedom fighter, are the two new tribal districts

Notes:
James Webb Space Telescope reached its final destination, at around 15 lakh km from Earth. The telescope will orbit in an area of space known as a Lagrange point, where the gravitational pull from the Sun and Earth will be balanced by the centrifugal force of the rotating system.
The points were first theorized by Italian French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange. Webb will go around it in a halo at a distance similar to that between the Earth and Moon

Notes:
A total of 246 rebels from the Tiwa Liberation Army (TLA) and United Gorkha Peoples Organisation (UGPO), formally surrendered and laid down arms in Assam.
TLA was formed in 2014 and UGPO was formed in 2007. They deposited 277 types of arms, grenades and 720 rounds of ammunition. As many as 462 former militants of five different terrorist outfits had surrendered last year in the state.

Notes:
Xiomara Castro has been sworn in as the first female president of Honduras. It is a Central American country with Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south.
12 years ago, She led a massive protest movement in response to the ousting of her husband, Former President Manuel Mel Zelaya, in a military-backed coup. Honduras ha the highest rate of femicide in Latin America and repressive laws related to reproductive rights.

Notes:
The Delhi cabinet approved ex-gratia relief of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmers whose lands were damaged by rains last year.
In September-October 2021, several acres of farmland were damaged due to heavy rain and water-logging in fields. If the damage is found to be 70% or less, the compensation will be 70% of the amount. If the assessed loss is more than 70%, Rs 20,000 per acre will be paid.

Notes:
India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2022 was approved in the 2nd ASEAN Digital Ministers meeting held in the virtual mode.
The Work Plan focuses on tackling the use of stolen and counterfeit mobile handsets and WiFi Access network interface, for the public interest. It also includes knowledge sharing in emerging areas ICT such as Internet of Things, 5G, Advanced Satellite Communication and Cyber Forensics.