Current Affairs Quiz - March 2022

Notes:
Lok Sabha Member and Actor Hema Malini asked the government if it has any plan to encourage artists from Mathura-Vrindavan involved in Sanjhi art.
Sanjhi art is a unique craft form that features exquisite designs and picture motifs, cut into paper. Originated in Mathura in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Sanjhi painting is also practised in Vrindavan.

Notes:
The Polar Science and Cryosphere Research (PACER) scheme is implemented through National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It comprises of the Antarctic program, Indian Arctic program, Southern Ocean program and Cryosphere and Climate program. The scheme is organising 41st Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica. PACER scheme has recently been approved for continuation during 2021-2026.

Notes:
India has crossed a landmark milestone as the eSanjeevani telemedicine service of Union Health Ministry has crossed 3 crore tele-consultations.
The service has set a new record by completing 1.7 lakhs consultations in a day. States that are leading in terms of adoption of eSanjeevani are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and West Bengal. eSanjeevani, has two variants: eSanjeevani Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centre (AB-HWC) and eSanjeevaniOPD.

Notes:
Union Minister for Culture, Tourism & DONER G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the three-day North-East festival called ‘Ishan Manthan’ in New Delhi.
It included discussion on the indigenous faith of North East India, discussions on the unsung freedom fighters of the North East among others. The event will also provide information about films, art and handicrafts of the North East.

Notes:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) extended the term of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg by a year until September 30, 2023.
At the NATO summit in Brussels, the US President Joe Biden and other NATO leaders agreed to extend Stoltenberg’s term. He was a former Norwegian prime minister and was named NATO Secretary-General in 2014. His term was due to expire in September 2021.

Notes:
Airports Authority of India (AAI), under its R & D initiative, has entered into an agreement with Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) to jointly develop indigenous Air Traffic Management Systems.
They will also collaborate on systems for surface movement of aircraft at airports in the country which were previously being imported. The Agreement was signed during ‘Wings India 2022’ in Hyderabad.

Notes:
Some desert foxes, found in the scrub forests of Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, are said to be suffering from loss of fur due to the ‘Mange skin disease’.
After locals spotted the disease in foxes, Wildlife conservationists have expressed concern on managing the disease. There were 8,331 foxes in the state according to the 2019 wildlife census of Rajasthan.

Notes:
Small industries development bank of India (SIDBI), has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Meghalaya infrastructure development and finance corporation.
It is a government body to develop the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem in the state. Under the MoU, SIDBI and Meghalaya government will work to ensure the development of the MSME ecosystem in the state.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to extend the PMGKAY till September 2022.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), 5 kg of food grains (wheat, rice, coarse grain) is provided to each beneficiary each month free of cost. Phase-V of the scheme was to end in March 2022.

Notes:
Chinarak mines are located in the mountains of northern Afghanistan. Recently, three times as many men have come to work than before the Taliban takeover.
Thousands of men flocked to the dangerous mines, to sustain their livelihood amidst an economic crisis. For more than six months, Afghanistan has been gripped by a severe economic crisis that has wiped out incomes, raised food prices and left millions hungry.