Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
The high-level committee was constituted in 2014 under the chairmanship of former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian by the Ministry of Environment, forests and climate change (MoEF & CC) to review environmental laws in the country.
The Supreme Court had asked the Centre whether it was planning a dedicated Indian Environment Service in the national bureaucratic set-up, as recommended by the Subramanian Committee.

Notes:
Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare launched a Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) in 2014-15, to increase the reach of farm mechanization to small and marginal farmers and to the regions where farm power availability is low.
As per recent guidelines of SMAM, a grant of up to 100 percent of the cost of agriculture drone or Rs 10 lakh is provided for purchase of drones by the Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes, ICAR institutes, KVKs and State Agriculture Universities for demonstrations of this technology the farmers’ fields. FPOs can get up to 75 percent of the cost of agriculture drone.

Notes:
Australia’s Online Safety Act, which was passed in July 2021, has come into effect recently. It allows adults to report cases of online bullying in the country to the eSafety Commissioner.
The act empowers the eSafety commissioner to order social media websites to take down content related to bullying against Australian adults within 24 hours and impose fines if not followed. This Act addresses bullying against adults as well as children.

Notes:
The Australian government has bought the copyright of the Aboriginal flag, to free the symbol of identity from fights over who can use it.
Indigenous artist Harold Thomas created the flag in 1971 as a protest image. It is used as the dominant Aboriginal emblem and an official national flag. Now, the flag can be reproduced by anyone without fear of legal threats.

Notes:
According to lawsuits by Washington, D.C., and three other states, Alphabet Inc.’s Google deceived consumers by recording their location even after users tried to turn off the company’s tracking on their smartphones and web browsers.
The suit alleges that Google tracks people’s movements using information from its search engine, Maps app, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth services. While Google said that it has  built privacy features into our products and provided robust controls for location data.

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:
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:
Sangolli Rayanna was at the forefront to fight the East India Company but was executed by the British in 1831. He was trusted lieutenant of Rani Kittur Chennamma.
The Karnataka government has decided to establish a school named after freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna at his birthplace in Belagavi district, at a cost of Rs 180 crore.

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:
Tropical Storm Ana hit three southern African countries, leading to a death count of 70. The storm made landfall in Madagascar before entering into Mozambique and Malawi.
Madagascar reported 41 dead and 18 others were killed in Mozambique and 11 in Malawi. The Emergency teams were battling to repair damaged infrastructure and help tens of thousands of victims.