Current Affairs Quiz - March 2022

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved a draft legislation to provide a regulatory framework for India’s research activities in Antarctica and protect the environment in the continent.
The Indian Antarctica Bill was piloted by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The Indian Antarctic programme, which began in 1981, has completed 40 scientific expeditions and built three permanent research base stations in Antarctica. Maitri and Bharati are fully operational at present.

Notes:
The ‘National Tuberculosis Prevalence Survey’ was recently released by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. He also released the country’s ‘annual TB report’
As per the report, Delhi had the highest prevalence (747) in 2019-2021 while Gujarat had the lowest (137). TB prevalence among India’s adults was 312 per 100,000 in 2019-2021. For every 2.84 persons with TB, only 1 was registered in the national surveillance system.

Notes:
As per recent official data, the doctor-population ratio is 1:834 in the country. There are 13,01,319 allopathic doctors registered with the State Medical Councils and the National Medical Commission (NMC) as on November, 2021.
Also, there are 2.89 lakh registered dentists, 32.63 lakh registered nursing personnel and 13 lakh allied and Healthcare Professionals in the country.

Notes:
“Jingkieng Jri: Living Root Bridge Cultural Landscapes of Meghalaya” has been included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site tentative list.
The Living Root bridges are home to several critically endangered species of flora and fauna. They were built by the indigenous people of Meghalaya, using the living roots of Ficus trees planted on both sides of a river.

Notes:
Union Minister Anurag Thakur launched TEJAS (Training for Emirates Jobs And Skills) in Dubai, UAE. It is a Skill India International Project to train overseas Indians.
The programme aims to skilling, certification and overseas employment of Indians. During the initial phase, it aims at creating a 10,000 strong Indian workforce in UAE. He also invited UAE for collaboration in Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) Sector.

Notes:
The Schengen Area is an area comprising 26 European countries that have officially abolished passport and other border control at their mutual borders.
The area has a common visa policy and is named after the 1985 Schengen Agreement signed in Schengen, Luxembourg. Recently, many countries have lifted Covid-19 entry rules for the EU/Schengen Area Travellers.

Notes:
Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Shaktikanta Das dedicated Varnika, the Ink Manufacturing Unit of Bharatiya Reserve Bank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL) to the nation in Mysuru.
It is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). BRBNMPL has set up Varnika with an annual ink manufacturing capacity of 1,500 MT to enhance the security of banknotes. It aims to achieve cost efficiency and reduced import dependency.

Notes:
Indian weightlifter Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has been announced the winner of the third edition of the BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year (ISWOTY) award. Mirabai Chanu became the first Indian weightlifter to clinch a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
The ‘BBC Emerging Player’ award has been presented to Shafali Verma, the youngest female cricketer who played for India in T20 International match in 2019. Karnam Malleswari was presented the BBC Lifetime Achievement award.

Notes:
The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) has launched a ‘Legal Aid Clinic’.
It will act as a single-window facility for resolving grievances of women by offering them free legal assistance. Women can access the facility to access free legal advice and counseling where legal services advocates in the panel of DSLSA will help women.

Notes:
The 5th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit was hosted virtually by Sri Lanka, the current chair.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the conference virtually and announced USD 1 million in aid to promote the budget of the Bimstec secretariat. The theme of the Colombo summit is “Bimstec-Towards a Resilient Region, Prosperous Economies, Healthy Peoples”.