Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched ‘Apna Kangra’ app, to help the tourists and boost sale of local handicrafts by a e-Marketing platform.
The aim of ‘Apna Kangra’ is to empower rural women and provide job opportunities to youth through tourism. It also aims to enhance hospitality services such as hotels, homestays and transport.

Notes:
Former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe was conferred with the Netaji Award 2022 by the Netaji Research Bureau on the 125th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter, Netaji Subash Chandra Bose.
Consul general of Japan in Kolkata, Nakamura Yutaka, received the honour on behalf of former PM Shinzo Abe.

Notes:
China-Russia-Iran Navies participate in the ‘CHIRU-2Q22’ is a Joint Drill. China announced that it has sent its naval missile destroyer Urumqi to the Gulf of Oman to participate in the drill.
The Chinese regime also sent helicopters and marines for the exercise. Russia sent its Pacific Fleet’s task force which included Nakhimov missile cruiser Varyag and anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs. The exercises are held in the waters of the Mediterranean and Okhotsk seas.

Notes:
The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) notified a ‘Drone certification scheme (DCS)’ to ensure minimum safety and quality requirements and to boost indigenous manufacturing.
The objective of this DCS, released under liberalized Drone Rules, 2021, is to provide the minimum requirements for security requirements for drones and enable their evaluation for certification. The liberalised Drone Rules, 2021,was released by the MoCA in August 2021.

Notes:
Pakistan has raised USD 1 billion loan with Sukuk (Islamic Bond), at highest ever interest rate of 7.95%.
In return for the loan, Pakistan has also agreed to pledge a portion of the Lahore-Islamabad motorway, which is a national sset built in the 1990s. The last Islamic Bond issued by Pakistan was in 2017, which was a 5-year Sukuk at a rate of 5.6%.

Notes:
India hosted first India-Central Asia Summit in a virtual format. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed on the need for India and Central Asian countries to define an ambitious vision, as the relations completed 30 years.
The event that saw a participation of the Presidents of five countries, including Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Notes:
The Lok Sabha secretariat has launched a new app, Digital Sansad, which enables people to follow the proceedings in Parliament.
It also contains the live telecast of Sansad proceedings. Citizens can access general information on MPs, on budget speeches since 1947, House discussions from 12th Lok Sabha to 17th Lok Sabha.The app will also help members of parliament access services such as checking personal updates.

Notes:
The Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) of Tamil Nadu has been awarded the prestigious TX2 Award after its tiger number doubled since 2010.
STR is a protected area and tiger reserve in the Western Ghats in the Erode District of Tamil Nadu. The reserve is a part of the Nilgiri biosphere landscape, which is the home to world’s largest tiger population. The awards are presented by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CATS), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s ITHCP, UNDP, WWF among other stakeholders.

 

 

Notes:
Ain Sefra, also known as the ‘Gateway to the Sahara’, is located in northwest Algeria. The area is surrounded by the Atlas Mountains and is 1,000 metres above sea level.
Recently, the Sahara Desert, commonly known for its hot and dry climate, witnessed a rare snowfall. Temperatures dipped to -2 degrees Celsius near the town of Ain Sefra, which has a heat record of over 50°C. The occurrence of rare snowfall this time is due to climate change.

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.