Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
India’s star opener Smriti Mandhana was named the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year for her contribution across all formats in 2021. She was short-listed for ‘the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy’
The Indian T20 Vice-Captain is only the second India woman player to bag an ICC award after veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami, who was named the ICC Player of the Year in 2007. England captain Root was named ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year for 2021 and Pakistan skipper Babar Azam named ICC ODI Cricketer of the Year for 2021.

Notes:
The 61 winners of the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar (PMRBP) 2021 and 2022 got digital certificates that use blockchain-driven technology developed by IIT Kanpur under the National Blockchain Project.
The digital certificates will be stored on digital wallets installed on the mobile devices of the recipients. These certificates are globally verifiable and cannot be forged. IIT Kanpur had awarded digital degrees to its students for the first time using the in-house developed blockchain technology.

Notes:
The International Monetary Fund’s board urged El Salvador to drop Bitcoin from its status as legal currency.
El Salvador last year sought a $1.3 billion IMF loan. IMF has urged the country to strip the legal tender status of Bitcoin due to its large risks. This is also said to be a major obstacle for the country’s efforts to get a loan from IMF.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia and Thailand have ended a 30-year dispute over a scandal involving stolen jewels and a series of murders. Saudi Arabian Airlines has announced to restart direct flights to Thailand.
The resumption of full diplomatic ties came during a visit to Riyadh by Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha. Gems stolen from Saudi had a rare 50 carat blue diamond, which was never recovered. The dispute has cost a huge dip in trade and led to job losses for Thai Migrant workers.

Notes:
In new research, a team of scientists at Tufts University demonstrated long-term regrowth of limbs in an African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis).
They achieved this restoration of an amputated hindlimb after a 24-hour exposure to a five-drug cocktail delivered by a silicone wearable bioreactor. The researchers are exploring ways to extend this to human beings

Notes:
As per the preliminary results of Nepal’s National Census 2021, the country’s population has reached 29,192,480, which is a growth of mere 0.93 per cent. This is also the lowest growth in the last eight decades.
The population growth rate in Nepal is less than the average growth rate of the global population. This is due to the outward migration of Nepalis for jobs and studies. In the last Census 2011, the average population growth rate was 1.35 percent.

Notes:
U.S. President Joe Biden and his European Union counterpart Ursula von der Leyen pledged to cooperate on guaranteeing Europe’s energy security.
They released a joint cooperation statement amidst standoff triggered by Russia consolidating troops at Ukraine’s border. The European Union depends on Russia for around one-third of its gas supplies.

Notes:
Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar announced that 150 villages around the Centers of Excellence will be converted into Villages of Excellence with technical assistance from Israel.
75 villages are being taken up in the first year to commemorate the 75th year of India’s independence. Both countries commemorated the completion of 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel.

Notes:
The Government of Tamil Nadu has framed a draft policy for senior citizens, acknowledging the State’s demographic transition.
The policy also proposes to create a Directorate for the Welfare of Senior Citizens. The draft document is based on Article 41 of the Constitution, which requires the State ‘to secure the right to work, education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement’.

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.