Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
Ministry of Panchayati Raj released the revised ‘Rural Area Development Plan Formulation and Implementation (RADPFI) Guidelines’.
The newly introduced Rural guidelines aim to transform rural India and to promote rural prosperity. It would supplement the efforts of the Centre such as the SVAMITVA scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj and RURBAN Mission of Ministry of Rural Development.

Notes:
Manipur, Meghalaya, and Tripura were formed in 1972 with the enactment of North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971.
The three states were formed on January 21, 1972 and the day has been celebrated as the Statehood Day every year. Meghalaya was a part of Assam before it attained complete statehood and Tripura was a Union Territory before it attained statehood.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Coal launched the “Koyla Darpan” portal, to Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) related to the Coal Sector.
At present, the portal has 9 KPIs including Coal/Lignite Production, Status of Coal Stock in Thermal Power Plants, Infrastructure Projects, Allocation of Blocks, Monitoring of Major Coal Mines and Coal Price.

Notes:
Ramisyllis kingghidorahi, is a new ringed worm, which was discovered in waters off Sado Island, Japan. Marine biologists have discovered this third species of branching syllid worm.
Among over 20,000 species of annelids (ringed worms), only 2 branching species with a modified body-pattern were known until now namely Syllis ramosa and Ramisyllis multicaudata.

Notes:
The Amar Jawan Jyoti was established in 1972, to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, which resulted in the creation of Bangladesh.
The Indian Government has put out the eternal flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti underneath India Gate and merged it with the flame instituted at the National War Memorial in 2019. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi inaugurated it on Republic Day 1972, after India defeated Pakistan in 1971.

Notes:
The Peruvian Government declared a 90-day “environmental emergency” in damaged coastal territories, after 6,000 barrels of crude oil spilled into the sea.
The incident occurred at the La Pampilla refinery, where the “Mare Doricum” tanker belonging to the Spanish energy firm Repsol was transporting 965,000 barrels of crude oil. The spill has caused death of marine wildlife and the spill is investigated as an environmental pollution crime.

Notes:
The Indian Government has dropped Gandhiji’s personal favourite “Abide With Me” hymn from the Republic Day celebrations.
The hymn, which was written by Henry Francis Lyte, a Scottish Anglican minister, has been played in the Indian Beating Retreat ceremony since 1950. It has been replaced by Kavi Pradeep’s “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon” which was written in the wake of the Sino-Indian War.

Notes:
India has paid USD 29.9 million in United Nations regular budget assessments for the year 2022. India is a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council and its two-year term will end on December 31, 2022.
As of January 21, 2022, 24 Member States have paid their regular budget assessments in full. Iran, Guinea and Vanuatu paid sufficient dues to the UN regular budget to regain their voting rights. Only Venezuela and Papua New Guinea don’t have the right to vote in the 193 member body.

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:
The 2022 Winter Olympics, officially the XXIV Olympic Winter Games is scheduled to take place from 4 to 20 February 2022 in Beijing and its neighbouring town in China.
A report released by Sport Ecology Group and Save Our Winters has stated the dangers of artificial snow to be produced in the Olympics on athletes’ bodies. It also warned on water wastage that happens for the snow at these games.