Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
36 Indigenous Maya Achi women had been subjected to domestic slavery, sexual violence and rape during the 36-year conflict in Guatemala.
The Country’s Court ruled that the five former paramilitary patrolmen were found guilty of raping and sexually abusing Indigenous women during the war.

Notes:
Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has been bestowed the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in this year’s list of defence awards. It is the highest non-gallantry decoration given to defence personnel.
The PVSM is usually accorded to three-star officers for distinguished service to the nation. Chopra undertook his training at the Army’s sports institutions and was picked to join the service as part of Mission Olympic.

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:
Scientists from IIT Kharagpur have developed a portable, inexpensive device for detecting oral cancer. The estimated cost per device is within USD500.
The new technology enables a clinician in a community health centre detect potential vulnerable cases early enough, during the first examination.

Notes:
India and France signed an MoU on scientific cooperation for advancement in Human Health. CSIR and Institut Pasteur would jointly research on emerging and remerging infectious diseases and inherited disorders.
This MoU seeks to enable delivery of effective and affordable healthcare solutions to people across the world.

Notes:
The Kerala Bird Atlas released recently is said to be Asia’s largest bird atlas in terms of geographical extent, sampling efforts, and species coverage.
It is also the first-of-its-kind state-level bird atlas in India, and was conducted as a citizen-driven exercise with the participation of over 1000 volunteers. The Atlas has provided data about the distribution of various bird species across major habitats.

Notes:
The European Union launched a case against China at the World Trade Organization over its forced practices against Lithuania and some exporters from other member states.
China, the EU’s main trade partner, started blocking Lithuanian products and some other European goods that contained Lithuanian components last December. This was done after Taiwan opened a representative office in Vilnius (capital of Lithuania) under the country’s name instead of Taipei.

Notes:
Union Minister for Power R K Singh interacted with renewable energy developers, industry and various government representatives to discuss on the Draft policy on the energy storage system’.
The Minister also indicated that people may be free to set up standalone energy storage systems (ESS). The Government has planned to de-license the setting up of those systems, under the policy for ESS.

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:
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.