Current Affairs Quiz - March 2022

Notes:
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef system, located in Australia. As per a new study, fish in Australia’s Great Barrier Reef are losing their colour.
The study revealed that relationship between the colouration of the fish communities and the environment is likely to be impacted by global environmental change.

Notes:
NITI Aayog, in partnership with the Institute of Competitiveness, released the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) 2021.
As per the report, most of the Coastal States of India are the best performers, and Gujarat was the top-performer. The EPI ranks states and UTs on 4 main pillars namely ‘Policy; Business Ecosystem; Export Ecosystem; Export Performance’ and 11 sub-pillars.

Notes:
The President of India Ram Nath Kovind presented the prestigious President’s Colour to INS Valsura. The advanced Torpedo Training Facility was created in 1942 for the Royal Indian Navy during World War-II.
After India became a Republic, it was renamed as INS Valsura on 01 Jul 1950. The President’s Colour is presented upon a military unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the Nation, both in peace and in war.

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:
Bulgaria has recently abolished its controversial “Golden passports” scheme, which offers citizenship of the EU member state in return for substantial investment.
The scheme made it possible for foreigners to acquire residency when they invested a minimum of 500,000 euros in Bulgaria, and citizenship when they invested one million euros. The European Commission has called for the abolition of such schemes as they provide ways for money laundering.

Notes:
Ministry of Defence has signed a contract worth Rs 887 crore with Larsen & Toubro for acquisition of Two Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPVs) under the “Buy-Indian’’ category.
L&T will deliver the MPVs which will be indigenously built in India to the Indian Navy in another two years. The vehicles can perform maritime surveillance, surface and underwater firing exercises, launching of torpedoes and giving Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR) support.

Notes:
Recently, a record 1,14,305 Olive Ridley turtles arrived at the Rushikulya river mouth for their annual mass nesting. The Rushikulya beach is located in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
In spite of concerns over erosion in coastal areas due to high tide, this year marked a record mass nesting. Last year, the beach did not witness such mass nesting.

Notes:
A massive fire has recently broken out in the Sariska Tiger Reserve, located in Alwar district, in the state of Rajasthan
Air Force helicopters equipped with water sprays are battling the fire, as the 8-10 sq km area in the Akbarpur range has been affected. Sariska Tiger Reserve has a total of 27 tigers. As per the forest officials, the cause of fire is yet to be ascertained.

Notes:
Kumbhalgarh also known as the Great Wall of India is a fort on the range of Aravalli Hills near Udaipur of Rajasthan state. It is the second-longest wall of the world after the Great Wall of China.
The formation of Rajasthan on March 30 is celebrated as ‘Rajasthan Diwas’. On 30 March 1949, the princely states of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner merged to form the ‘Greater Rajasthan Union’. 2022 marks 73 years of Rajasthan Diwas.

Notes:
Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. Has launched the world’s longest commercial passenger flight by distance.
It has planned to reroute its New York-Hong Kong service to avoid Russian airspace, and that would be the longest flight. The distance of 16,618 kilometers is covered at 17 hours would surpass Singapore Airlines’ New York service, which takes about 17-and-a-half hours to cover 15,349 km.