Current Affairs Quiz 5th and 6th February 2022 : Daily GK Update Quiz

Exp. India’s 1st project of mixing hydrogen into natural gas started by GAIL in Indore, Madhya Pradesh

Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) has started India’s first project of mixing hydrogen into the natural gas system at Indore, Madhya Pradesh (MP).

The hydrogen blended natural gas will be supplied to Avantika Gas Limited, one of GAIL’s Joint Venture (JV) companies with Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in Indore, MP.

This is a pilot project which is in line with the National Hydrogen Mission, for establishing the techno-commercial feasibility of blending hydrogen in the City Gas Distribution (CGD) network and moving towards a hydrogen-based and carbon-neutral future.

India has committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.  The government plans to raise the share of natural gas in the primary energy basket to 15 percent by 2030 from the current 6.2 percent.

Exp. Andhra Pradesh govt’s CLAP- Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam Programme

Government of Andhra Pradesh had started the “Clean Andhra Pradesh (CLAP)- Jagananna Swachha Sankalpam Programme.

Government started CLAP programme for cleaning rural areas, improving sanitation conditions and waste management with public participation.

Under the campaign, rural households are advised not to dispose of garbage on streets and instead hand it over to garbage collector.

Since the launch of the mission in October, 22 per cent of households gave their garbage to the garbage collector. By January, this figure has reached 61 per cent. The government aims to achieve 100 per cent rural household garbage collection by October 2022.

Exp. Uttar Pradesh selected as best tableau among states/UTs at R-Day parade 2022

Uttar Pradesh’s tableau, based on theme ‘One District One Product and Kashi Vishwanath Dham’, was adjudged the best among 12 States and Union Territories at this year’s Republic Day parade, while the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Civil Aviation were declared joint winners among the Ministries and departments.

The marching contingent of the Navy was adjudged the best among the Services, while the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was named the best among the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and auxiliary forces.

The second place went to Karnataka for its tableau based on ‘Cradle of Traditional Handicrafts’. The third position went to Meghalaya for its tableau on ‘Meghalaya’s 50 years of Statehood and its tribute to women-led cooperative societies & SHGs’.

The theme of the tableau of Ministry of Education and Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship was ‘National Education Policy’, while that of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was based on ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’. Maharashtra took first place in the best state tableau under people’s choice awards.

Exp. PM Modi inaugurated ‘Statue of Equality’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the ‘Statue of Equality’ in Hyderabad.

The 216-feet tall Statue of Equality commemorates the 11th-century Bhakti Saint Sri Ramanujacharya, who promoted the idea of equality in all aspects of living including faith, caste and creed.

The Statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc. It is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position, in the world.

The statue has been conceptualised by Chinna Jeeyar Swami of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram.

Exp. Karnataka signed MoU with Ather Energy to establish 1000 fast-charging stations for electric 2-wheeler

The government of Karnataka and the Ather Energy and Electric Supply Companies (ESCOMs) has signed an MoU to set up 1000 fast-charging stations for electric 2-wheelers.

Ather Energy will provide free-charging services for electric vehicle (EV) two-wheelers.

ESCOMs will be the nodal agency to provide the technical support and government agencies will coordinate with the ESCOMs to share their available spaces for the charging stations.

Exp. Financial assistance scheme “Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana” for Landless Labourers launched in Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh became first state in the country to provide direct financial assistance to rural landless agriculture labourers.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched the “Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana”, financial assistance scheme of the Chhattisgarh government for landless labourers of rural areas of Chhattisgarh.

This is the first-of-its-kind scheme in India for which the state government had made a provision of Rs 200 crore in the budget for the financial year 2021-22. He also launched the “Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club’scheme” at the function and provided financial assistance of Rs 25000 to its beneficiaries.

Under the financial assistance scheme Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana, financial assistance of Rs 6000 per year in 3 installments will be provided to the registered labourers in rural areas who do not possess agricultural land. Around 3.55 lakh beneficiaries of the scheme received Rs 2,000 each in their bank accounts as the first instalment under the plan.

The Rajiv Yuva Mitan Club’ scheme aims to connect young people of Chhattisgarh with creative works, developing leadership skills and making them aware of their social responsibilities. Under the scheme, 13,269 clubs will be formed in panchayats and urban civic bodies The young people aged between 15 to 40 years will take part in these clubs.

Exp. Centre approved renaming of three places in Madhya Pradesh

The government of India (GoI) has approved the renaming of 3 places in Madhya Pradesh, Hoshangabad Nagar as “Narmadapuram”, Shivpuri as “Kundeshwar Dham” and Babai as “Makhan Nagar”.

In 2021, the government of MP led by Shivraj Singh Chouhan has proposed the renaming of the 3 places in Madhya Pradesh. The approval for the renaming was granted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The Hoshangabad Nagar named after Hoshang Shah, the first formally appointed Sultan of the Malwa Sultanate of Central India was renamed as Narmadapuram.

Babai has been renamed after the renowned journalist and poet Makhanlal Chaturvedi. Makhanlal Chaturvedi was born in Babai, MP. The government has named a national university of journalism and communication at Bhopal after Makhanlal in 1992.

Exp. NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg appointed as Governor of Norway central bank

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) chief, Jens Stoltenberg will take over as Norway’s central bank Governor at the end of the year.

The appointment comes amid escalating tensions between the West and Russia. Western nations fear Moscow has plans to invade Ukraine, which aspires to join the NATO alliance.

But Mr Stoltenberg, a 62-year-old trained economist, insisted that he would stay on as NATO Secretary-General until the end of his term in October. Norway’s central bank determines monetary policy but also manages the country’s enormous sovereign wealth fund, the biggest in the world.

Exp. India’s unemployment rate in January 2022 stood at 6.57%: CMIE Report

The unemployment rate in India in January 2022 fell sharply to 6.57%, according to the data from the economic think-tank, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE). This is the lowest rate witnessed since March 2021.

While unemployment in urban India stood at 8.16 per cent in January, in rural areas it was the lowest at 5.84 per cent. In December 2021, the unemployment rate rose to a four-month high of 7.91%, compared to 6.97% in November.

CMIE is a Mumbai-based independent non-government entity that serves both as an economic think-tank as well as a business information company.

Telangana recorded the lowest unemployment rate in January at 0.7% in January 2022, followed by Gujarat (1.2%), Meghalaya (1.5%), Odisha (1.8%) and Karnataka (2.9%).

Haryana witnessed the highest unemployment rate of 23.4% in January 2022, followed by Rajasthan (18.9%), Tripura (17.1%), Jammu & Kashmir (15%) and Delhi (14.1%).

Exp. LIC tied up with Policybazaar for digital distribution of life insurance products

Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) tied up with Policybazaar. com to digitally offer a wide range of Life Insurance and investment products to its customers across India.

This is LIC’s first association with a private insurance aggregator, which has mainly relied on its 1.33 million agents for distributing products.

Aim: To facilitate seamless digital distribution of life insurance products and boost financial inclusion across India.

The alliance will provide insurance services in smaller cities to ensure financial inclusion and social security. It will increase its penetration digitally in rural and remote areas and offer a wide range of term and investment products to the customers.

Exp. Kotak General Insurance partnered with CARS24 to provide Motor Insurance for used cars

Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company signed an agreement with Cars24 Financial Services Private Limited (CARS24 Financial Services) to provide motor insurance services to used car buyers.

Under the partnership, used car buyers from Cars24 will be directly provided with Kotak General Insurance’s comprehensive motor insurance plans. The partnership will provide a trustworthy and faster way to avail motor insurance with a fully digital insurance process.

Customers can also avail cashless claims servicing at Kotak General Insurance’s platform of garages and enable convenient claim settlement services.

Exp. Government has done a Switch Operation of Rs. 1,19,701 crores

The Government of India (GOI) has done a conversion switch transaction of its securities with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 28, 2022 for an amount of Rs. 1,19,701 crores (face value).

The transaction involved buying back securities that are being matured in FY 2022-23, FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 from the RBI and also issuing fresh securities for equivalent market value, to make the transaction cash neutral.

The transactions were carried out using Financial Benchmarks India Private Limited (FBIL) prices as on January 28, 2022.

Aim: The GOI undertakes switch operations with RBI and also with market participants to smoothen the liability profile as well as for market development.

Exp. GA Srinivasa Murthy appointed as the director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory

Senior scientist GA Srinivasa Murthy has been appointed director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad.

He joined DRDL in the year 1987 and made significant contributions in the area of structural dynamics, ground resonance testing, electrical integration and checkout for various projects of the missile complex.

G A Srinivasa Murthy completed his BE in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Andhra University in 1986 and pursued his ME in Digital Systems from Osmania University in Hyderabad.

Exp. M Jagadesh Kumar appointed as new Chairman of University Grants Commission

The government of India has appointed Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Vice-Chancellor, M Jagadesh Kumar as the new Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

He has been appointed for a period of five years or till he attains the age of 65 years, whichever is the earliest. The post of the UGC Chairman was vacant since December 07, 2021, after Prof D P Singh resigned upon attaining 65 years of age. He was appointed in 2018.

Hailing from Mamidala village in Telangana’s Nalgonda district, 60-year-old Kumar holds a master’s degree and a PhD from IIT-Madras. He also completed his post-doctoral research at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, at Ontario, Canada.

Exp. Rahul Bhatia appointed as the Managing Director of IndiGo

InterGlobe Aviation announced the appointment of its Co-founder Rahul Bhatia as the company’s Managing Director with immediate effect.

The company is the parent of the country’s largest airline IndiGo. Bhatia is the Co-founder and Promoter of InterGlobe Aviation.

IndiGo Chairman Meleveetil Damodaran said the move will further strengthen the airline in the years ahead. Bhatia would oversee all aspects of the airline, and actively lead the management team.

Exp. India won fifth U-19 World Cup title, beat England by 4 wickets in final

India defeated England by four wickets to clinch a record-extending fifth U-19 World Cup title at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua.

India added the fifth title to their collection, having previously won the trophy in 2000, 2008, 2012, 2018. Yash Dhull becomes the fifth Indian captain to win the title after Mohammad Kaif, Virat Kohli, Unmukt Chand and Prithvi Shaw.

Earlier, England opted to bat after winning the toss but they were shot out by India for 189 in 44.5 overs. India chases down the target of 190 with 2.2 overs to spare.

India’s Raj Angad Bawa was announced Player of the Match of the ICC Under19 World Cup 2022 Final between India and England. The Indian all-rounder picked 5/31, the best bowling figures for any final in the history of the championship and also scored crucial 35 runs with the bat to help his team in its 4-wicket win.

South Africa’s Dewald Brevis who broke all records to score 506 runs in only six innings, the most for any batter in any Under19 World Cup ever, was named Player of the Series for his record-breaking showing.

Exp. International Olympic Committee approved inclusion of Surfing, Skateboarding & Sport Climbing in 2028 Olympics at Los Angeles

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) approved a proposal to include Surfing, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing for the 2028 Summer Olympics Games that will be organized in Los Angeles (LA), United States (US).

The 2028 Summer Olympics are officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, or Los Angeles 2028 is a forthcoming event scheduled to take place from July 21 – August 6, 2028, in Los Angeles, California, US.

The 2024 Summer Olympics games will be organized in Paris, France. With this Paris becomes only the second city to host 3 Summer Olympic games.

Surfing, Skateboarding and Sport Climbing had made their Olympic debut in Tokyo Olympics 2021 and will also be included in the “additional” list for Paris in 2024. Boxing, weightlifting and modern pentathlon also have the chance to be included in upcoming Olympics games.

Exp. A book titled ‘Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra’ authored by Navdeep Singh Gill

A short biography of Indian athlete Neeraj Chopra has titled ‘Golden Boy Neeraj Chopra’ authored by sports author Navdeep Singh Gill has been released.

The biography on Tokyo Olympics-2021 gold medalist Neeraj Chopra was released by the chairperson of Punjab Kala Parishad Surjit Patar and president of Punjabi Sahit Akademi Lakhwinder Singh Johal, amid the presence of the author and his family members.

Neeraj Chopra won a gold medal in Javelin Throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The book covers the life history and achievements of Neeraj Chopra right from his childhood to the Tokyo Olympics.

Exp. MS Dhoni’s first look released from graphic novel ‘Atharva’: The Origin’ authored by Ramesh Thamilmani

Virzu Studios in association with MIDAS Deals Pvt Ltd has released the motion poster of its upcoming graphic novel, Atharva – The Origin. Cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been portrayed as the superhero Atharva in this graphic novel.

The graphic novel authored by Ramesh Thamilmani features over 150 lifelike illustrations which present the gripping, racy narrative. It is produced by Vincent Adaikalaraj and Ashok Manor.

The motion poster features a rugged looking Dhoni, giving fans a glimpse into the world of Atharva and also a sneak peek into the first look of him as a superhero.

Exp. 6 February: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is observed on 6 February to create awareness about ending the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). The day has been marked since 2012 by the United Nations (UN).

The day highlights that, systematic global efforts are needed to end the practice of FGM. The day also draw attention to that more efforts are needed to shape a world that respects women’s autonomy, integrity and well-being.

Theme 2022: “Accelerating Investment to End Female Genital Mutilation.”

Exp. Former President of Greece Christos Sartzetakis passed away

Former Greek President Christos Sartzetakis passed away at the age of 92 years due to respiratory failure in Athens, Greece.

He was a Greek jurist and a judge of the Supreme Court, who resisted against the militants during the 1967-1974 Rule of the Colonels.

He served as the President of Greece for a four-year term (1985 to 1990), after getting nominated by the socialist PASOK party.

Exp. India’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar passed away

India’s nightingale, playback singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar passed away after a prolonged illness, including covid complications.

Born in 1929 to Marathi classical singer and theatre actor Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and his Gujarati wife Shevanti in Indore, Mangeshkar has sung for over seven generations of female actors in India, with her voice often being described as ‘virginally pure’ and her playback for an actress symbolic of the latter having made it in Bollywood, particularly through the 1960s and 70s when the singer was at her peak.

Widely respected in the Indian film industry and affectionately called ‘Didi’ (elder sister) by all, Mangeshkar, has recorded songs in over a thousand Hindi films across thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages, primarily in Marathi, Hindi, and Bengali.

Lata Mangeshkar recorded her first Hindi song called “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the Marathi feature Gajaabhaau, which had released in 1943.

She has been honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan as well as several National and Filmfare Awards.

2001: Bharat Ratna – The Nation’s Highest Civilian Award