Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2023

Notes:
The UK Prime Minister signed a landmark defence agreement with the Japanese Prime Minister at London.
This is regarded as the most significant defence agreement between the two countries in more than a century, which allows UK forces to be deployed to Japan. The UK is the first European country to have a Reciprocal Access Agreement with Japan.

Notes:
Uganda declared an end to an Ebola virus outbreak that emerged almost four months ago and claimed lives of 55 people.
The disease was first detected in September in the district of Mubende. The outbreak was caused by the Sudan Ebola virus, one among six species of the Ebola virus. There is currently no confirmed vaccine for the virus.

Notes:
A 1000-Year-Old Viking Hall has been recently unearthed in Denmark. The Viking hall was up to 131 feet long and 26-33 feet wide.
The building had 10-12 oak posts that supported the roof. This is the largest Viking Age find of this nature in more than 10 years.

Notes:
El Salvador became the first country in the world to recognise Bitcoin as a legal tender two years ago.
It has recently approved a law to regulate the issuance of other digital assets by both the state and private entities. The bill aims to attract national and foreign investors while creating new financing opportunities.

Notes:
According to an analysis of Central Pollution Control Board data, the national capital region was the most polluted place in India in 2022.
Delhi recorded more than double of the accepted pollution particles limit. Among the cities with worst PM2.5 levels, Delhi (99.71 micrograms per cubic metre) ranked first, Haryana’s Faridabad (95.64 micrograms per cubic metre) ranked second followed by Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad (91.25 micrograms per cubic metre).

Notes:
Lohri is a popular North Indian festival, which marks the end of winter solstice and the beginning of longer days.
It is celebrated every year during the month of Paush, a day before Makar Sankranti. The festival is predominantly celebrated in Punjab, and other parts of the country such as Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Jammu & Kashmir. Punjabi folk songs and dances are performed in honour of Dulha Bhatti, a folk hero who led a revolt against Mughal rule.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution, urging the Centre to immediately implement the Sethusamudram project.
Sethusamudram project was originally conceived in 1890 by Commander Taylor and in 2004, Rs 2,427 crore was allotted by the UPA government. The project aims to link Palk Bay and the Gulf of Mannar between India and Sri Lanka by creating a shipping canal. It started in July 2005 but was stalled after protests by environmentalists and Hindu activists against demolition of Ram Setu.

Notes:
ReNew Power has installed India’s first 3x platform wind turbine generators (WTGs) in Gadag, Karnataka.
The new wind turbine generators will be a part of the country’s first ‘Round the Clock’ renewable energy project, combining wind, solar and a battery energy storage system (BESS). This project will produce energy to power over 1 million households in India annually.

Notes:
The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated on 14th January every year. As on this day in 1953, the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led the Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, retired from the Service.
The seventh Armed Forces Veterans’ Day was celebrated across the country, as a mark of respect to the selfless duty of the ex-servicemen and their sacrifices towards the Nation. The Raksha Mantri also launched the ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge, an initiative to promote tourism in border areas.

Notes:
Kollam became the first constitution literate district in India. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan conferred the honour on the district.
‘The Citizen’, a Constitution literacy campaign was jointly launched by the Kollam district panchayat, District Planning Committee and the Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA). As a part of the campaign, thousands of neo-literates were educated on the Indian Constitution.