Weekly Current Affairs (1st to 7th January 2022) Part - 2 - UPSC PDF Download

Important News – India

Q.1. India’s first state-of-the-art water taxi services will be commissioned in which city of India?

Correct Answer is Mumbai.

• The services would be formally launched in January by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the exact dates are being finalised.
• The project is a joint initiative of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).
• Infinity Harbour Services LLP and West Coast Marine will be the two service operators.

Q.2. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Bharati Pawar has inaugurated Central Government Health Scheme, CGHS Wellness Centre in?

Correct Answer is Nashik, Maharashtra.

• After this, Nashik will be 4th city in Maharashtra after Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur to have CGHS Wellness Centre.
• It will provide OPD Treatment including issue of medicines, indoor treatment at Government and Empanelled Hospitals, cashless facility available for treatment in empanelled centers for pensioners and other identified beneficiaries.

Q.3. The foundation stone for the Heartfulness International Yoga academy for setting new benchmarks in yoga training has been laid down in which city by the Union Ayush Minster, Sarbananda Sonowal?

Correct Answer is Hyderabad.

• It comprises Yoga halls that can accommodate 100 Yoga students in each hall, therapeutic Yoga rooms for consultation, one to one training spaces or small group classes, pre-natal Yoga rooms, lecture hall with 200 sitting capacity, full-fledged recording studio, etc.
• It will have trainers from India, Europe, Australia, Uzbekistan and US

Q.4. Which ministry is organizing Climate Change Awareness Campaign and National Photography Competition?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

• Campaign will have Municipal Commissioners and key heads of urban local bodies and Smart City CEOs creating awareness about Urban Climate Change and Sustainability
• The competition will be open to all participants till 26th January 2022 on climate change

Q.5. Maharaja Bir Bikram (MBB) Airport is located in which city where Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, inaugurated the New Integrated Terminal Building recently?

Correct Answer is Agartala.

• The airport is a blend of Tripura’s culture, natural beauty and modern facilities.
• It will play a big role in enhancing air connectivity in the North East.
• This is turning Tripura into a new hub of business and industry as well as a trade corridor.

Q.6. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) is flagship scheme of which ministry that has completed seven years of its implementation?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Power.

• The initiative evolved into the world’s largest zero subsidy domestic lighting programme with more than 36.78 crore LEDs distributed across the country.
• Launched in 2015, the Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA) succeeded in bringing down the retail price of LED bulbs from ₹300-350 a bulb to ₹70-80.

Q.7. ‘Gram Ujala programme’ is a flagship scheme of which ministry?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Power.

• It was launched by the Union minister of power and new and renewable energy RK Singh in March 2021.
• State-owned CESL has achieved a milestone of 50 lakh LED bulb distribution under the flagship Gram Ujala programme.

Q.8. Which ministry has released draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP) for public feedback?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Civil Aviation.

• As per an official release issued by the ministry the policy seeks to leverage India's potential for air sports and places a strong focus on ensuring international best practices in safety.
• The vision of the policy is to make India one of the top air sports nations by 2030.

Q.9. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched the Web Portal for PM's Excellence Award, that is being awarded for which sector?

Correct Answer is Public Administration.

• The award is being awarded for excellence in Public Administration” - to acknowledge, recognize and reward the extraordinary and innovative work done by Districts/ Organizations of the Central and State Governments.
• Recently, Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh today launched the Web Portal for PM's Excellence Award.

Q.10. What is the tagline of the 25th National Youth Festival 2022 to be held in Puducherry from 12th to 16th January 2022?

Correct Answer is Shaksham Yuva Shashakth Yuva.

• He also unveiled the tagline of National Youth Festival, Shaksham Yuva Shashakth Yuva meaning Capable Youth- Forceful Youth, Able Youth- Strong Youth.
• National Youth Festival is organized by Government of India every year in collaboration with one of the States.

Q.11. Which power generating company has signed a Promoters Agreement with the Green Energy Development Corporation of Odisha (GEDCOL) for the development of 500 megawatts (MW) floating solar projects on different water bodies in the state?

Correct Answer is NHPC Ltd.

• The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the same was signed between NHPC and GEDCOL in July 2020.
• NHPC and GEDCOL agree to establish a joint venture (JV) company for implementation of 500 MW floating solar power projects in Odisha and other such projects in subsequent periods as may be decided from time to time.

Q.12. 24th conference on e-Governance (NceG) was held in which city of India?

Correct Answer is  Hyderabad.

• The conference was inaugurated by Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Science and Technology and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions).
• The national awards for e-Governance 2021 were presented under six categories during the event.

Q.13. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to ensure assured tap water supply or ‘Har Ghar Jal’ to all rural households by?

Correct Answer is 2024.

• The ₹3.6 trillion JJM scheme aims to ensure assured tap water supply or ‘Har Ghar Jal’ to all rural households by 2024, with several states having presented their commitment to provide tap water connections to all rural households before 2024.
• Drinking water supply schemes totaling ₹6,872.28 crore have been approved in Rajasthan under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Q.14. ‘Meri Saheli’ is a team of which security forces which was seen in news recently?

Correct Answer is  Railway Protection Force.

• The RPF has deployed 244 Meri Saheli teams at major railway stations across the country to provide security to lady passengers in long distance trains particularly travelling alone.
• RPF collects feedback from these lady passengers at the end of their journeys to assess the efficacy of the initiative.

Q.15. What is the total outlay of the second phase of the Green Energy Corridor of the intra-state transmission system that was approved by the union cabinet in January 2022?

Correct Answer is ₹ 12,000 crore.

• The scheme will facilitate grid integration and power evacuation of about 20 GW of renewable energy (RE) projects in seven states — Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
• The scheme will help in achieving the target of 450 GW installed RE capacity by 2030.

Q.16. The Akshaya Patra Foundation (TAPF) has partnered with which organization to enhance the effectiveness of the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman?

Correct Answer is United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

• The partnership is a strategic force multiplier bringing deep work and experience together. India was strategically important for School Meals Coalition that was launched in 2020 with WFP as a coordinating body, as it implemented the largest school feeding programme in the world.
• A steering committee formed between these organisations would plan, discuss and mobilise financial resources to implement various activities.

Important News – State

Q.1. Jawaharlal Nehru Road in which state has been renamed as 'Narendra Modi Marg' ?

Correct Answer is  Sikkim.

• The older route is called Jawaharlal Nehru Road.
• The alternative double-lane road at 51 Kyongasala gram panchayat unit (GPU) -- spanning 19.51 km -- has been operational for almost a year now.

Q.2. Which state government has signed an MoU with the natural gas firm GAIL for cooperation in the production of ecofriendly fuels in the state?

Correct Answer is  Odisha.

• The agreement was signed by the public sector unit and the Industrial Promotion and Investment Corporation of Odisha (Ipicol) in Bhubaneswar
• The MoU seeks to prepare a feasibility study for setting up plants in areas of green hydrogen, green ammonia and renewable energy like solar and wind.

Q.3. The Koppal Toy Cluster (KTC), the first such infrastructure in the country, will be operational in March 2022 in which state?

Correct Answer is  Tamil Nadu.

• KTC is being set up by Aequs Infra, a group company of Belagavi-based Aequs Pvt. Ltd.
• Six toy and toy-component makers have signed MoUs with Aequs Infra while another three players, including Viscon Polymers, manufacturer and exporter of custom rubber moulded products, have started construction of their production facilities at KTC.

Q.4. Chilika lake is located in which state where a bird census has been conducted recently?

Correct Answer is  Odisha.

• Chilika is the largest brackish water lake. Birds come to the lake to spend their winter. Around 106 personnel were deployed in the survey.
• This included bird experts from non – governmental organizations and government organisations.

Q.5. India’s first open rock museum was inaugurated in which city?

Correct Answer is  Hyderabad.

• The Open Rock Museum, set up with the aim to educate and enlighten the masses about several lesser-known facts, displays around 35 different types of rocks from different parts of India with ages ranging from 3.3 billion years to around 55 million years of the Earth's history.
• These rocks also represent the deepest part of the earth up to 175 kilometres of distance from the surface of the earth.

Q.6. The ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) is located in which state that was seen in news recently?

Correct Answer is  Tamil Nadu.

• Interventions by Institute for implementing STC, was finalized based on systematic need assessment by conduct of Focus groups among two tribes ‘Malasar’ and ‘Malai malasar’ tribes belonging to Nagaroothu, Old Sarkarpathy, Chinnarpathy.

Q.7. Which state stood first in the country in the list of highest number of open defecation free (ODF Plus) villages under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II programme till December 31, 2021?

Correct Answer is  Telangana.

• As many as 13,737 out of 14,200 villages in the State are in the ODF Plus list, which is 96.74%. This was followed by Tamil Nadu with 4,432 villages (35.39%) and Karnataka with 1,511 villages (5.59%). Gujarat took the 17th position with only 83 villages (0.45%).

Q.8. Which state becomes the first state in the country to become a smoke-free state under Ujjwala Yojana?

Correct Answer is  Himachal Pradesh.

• Ujjwalla Yojna was started by the Centre government with the view to free the women of the country from indoor pollution.
• Along with this, the Himachal government also started the Grihini Suvidha Yojana to benefit as many women as possible, under the scheme.

Important News – World

Q.1. Abdalla Hamdok resigned as Prime Minister of which country?

Correct Answer is  Sudan.

• Hamdok, a former United Nations official seen as the civilian face of Sudan’s transitional government, was reinstated in November amid international pressure in a deal that called for an independent technocratic cabinet under military oversight led by him.
• Hamdok’s resignation came after Sudanese security forces violently dispersed the pro-democracy protesters against the October 25 military coup, killing at least two people.

Q.2. Which country takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the first time in 14 years with effect from 1st January 2022 till 30 June 2022?

Correct Answer is  France.

• Presidency of the Council (Council of Ministers) organizes meetings, brokers compromise, submits conclusions and ensures the coherency and continuity of the decision-making process.
• Each Member State of EU holds the presidency of Council of the European Union for six months on a rotational basis.

Q.3. Which neighbouring Country recently unveiled its National Security Policy (NSP)?

Correct Answer is  Pakistan.

• The country placed “economic security at the core” of the first-of-its kind document to ensure a “citizencentric approach to security”.
• The policy was presented and approved at the 36th meeting of the National Security Committee (NSC), chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan and attended by the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, and all Services Chiefs.

Q.4. Which country becomes the 102nd member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Correct Answer is Antigua and Barbuda.

• The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne signed the framework agreement in the presence of Indian High Commissioner Dr K. J. Srinivasa to catalyze global energy transition through a solar-led approach.
• K. J. Srinivasa became the High Commissioner of India to Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the 15-member CARICOM ( Caribbean Community and Common Market) in 2019.

Q.5. Sri Lanka has signed a deal with which Indian oil company to lease 75 oil tanks, as the island moved closer to securing a $500 million fuel credit line from India?

Correct Answer is  Indian Oil Corporation.

• The signing of the deal comes ahead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to Colombo this weekend, with China also vying for clout in Sri Lanka.
• Previously Sri Lanka had agreed to lease all of its 99 tank oil farms to India in 2003.

Q.6. India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with which country on cooperation in disaster management that was approved by the Union cabinet in January 2022?

Correct Answer is  Turkmenistan.

• The MoU between India and Turkmenistan seeks to put in place a system whereby both countries will be benefitted from the disaster management mechanisms of each other.
• It will also help in strengthening the areas of preparedness, response and capacity building in the field.

Q.7. What is full form of CSTO which was seen in news recently?

Correct Answer is  Collective Security Treaty Organization.

• It is a Moscow-based alliance of six former Soviet countries, for assistance.
• The CSTO has said that it will dispatch peacekeeping forces to Kazakhstan after the country's President asked for help in controlling protests that escalated into violence, including the seizure and setting afire of government buildings.

Honor & Awards

Q.1. Name the person who has won the Ramnath Goenka Award in the Photo Journalism category?

Correct Answer is  Zishaan A Latif.

• He won the award for his photo essay, The arduous struggle for inclusion in the NRC, which was published in The Caravan in October 2019.
• He documented the plight of people who were dropped from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and put a face to an untold human story.

Q.2. What will be the prize money for the PM's Award for Excellence in Public Administration for the year 2021-22?

Correct Answer is  Rs. 20 lakh.

• India’s governance model has become a Jan Andolan with people responding to the Prime Minister’s call for Jan Bhagidari in major schemes.
• The prize money was also doubled this year from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.20 lakh to the awarded
• District/Organization which is to be utilized for implementation of project/programme or bridging resource gaps in any area of public welfare.

Q.3. JC Chaudhry has achieved a Guinness World Record recently he is noted?

Correct Answer is  numerologists.

• He educated about ancient science to around 6000 participants, enthusiasts of numerology from USA, UK, Middle East and India
• The initiative was organized by Chaudhry Nummero Pvt Ltd (CNPL) and Indian Institute of Numerology to create awareness regarding numerology, which was prevalent across ancient cultures like Greece, Egypt and India.

Q.4. Which media group has won the WAN-IFRA South Asian Digital Media Awards 2021?

Correct Answer is  The Hindu Group.

• They include ‘Bring Back Milk Bikis Classic’, a week-long campaign for FMCG giant Britannia for the relaunch of Milk Bikis Classic won gold in best in audience engagement category and bronze in best branded/sponsored content campaign category.
• WAN-IFRA’s South Asian Digital Media Awards 2021 received over 140 entries this year.

Sports News

Q.1. Who won the World Rapid championship in Warsaw and become the youngest ever world champion in open competition?

Correct Answer is  Nodirbek Abdusattorov.

• Incidentally he set sets a world age record.
• He becomes the youngest ever world champion in open competitions
• Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the World Rapid championship in Warsaw, claiming en route the scalps of Magnus Carlsen and the No 1’s last two challengers, Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi.

Q.2. Who has won the women’s single title in the $25,000 ITF tennis tournament at the Ganesh Naik Complex?

Correct Answer is  Ekaterina Reyngold.

• She defeated Diana Marcinkevica of Latvia in the final by 6-3, 6-2.
• It was a maiden title in the professional circuit for the 20-year-old Ekaterina Reyngold.

Q.3. Name the Indian women cricketer who has been nominated for the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year-2021 award?

Correct Answer is  Smriti Mandhana.

• She has scored 855 runs in 22 internationals, at an average of 38.86 with one century and five half-centuries
• Besides her, other three cricketers - England’s Tammy Beaumont, Australia’s Lizelle Lee and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis are also being nominated.

Q.4. Which country has won the Under-19 Asia Cup 2021 cricket tournament?

Correct Answer is  India.

• Yash Dhull-led young Indian side defeated Sri Lanka by 9 wickets at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
• Sri Lanka had scored 106/9 and India were given the target of 99 runs due to the DLS method.
• India suffered an early jolt as Harnoor Singh was plummed in front of the stumps in the fifth over.

Q.5. Renowned cricketer Mohammad Hafeez announced his retirement from international cricket. Which country did he played for?

Correct Answer is  Pakistan.

• He represented Pakistan in 392 international matches in which he scored 12,789 runs and took 253 wickets.
• He has played 55 Tests, 218 ODIs (One Day International) and 119 T20Is (Twenty20 International) including three ICC (International Cricket Council) ODI World Cups and six T20 World Cups.

Q.6. Which state will host the ‘Khelo India Youth Games’ in 2022-23?

Correct Answer is  Madhya Pradesh.

• The approval has been given to host the games to be held in Bhopal city.
• The Government of Madhya Pradesh allocated Rs 176.59 crores for the first phase. Rs 15.56 crores is to be spent on operation and maintenance of International Sports Complex. Separate Funds are to be allocated for second and third phases.

Q.7. Name the Indian women cricketer who has been selected to lead India's 15-member squad at Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022?

Correct Answer is  Mithali Raj.

• India’s 15-member squad for ICC Women's World Cup 2022 has been announced by Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which will be played between March 4 and April 3 in New Zealand.
• Harmanpreet Kaur will be deputy lead at the World Cup.

Books and Authors

Q.1. Who has authored the titled “Mamata: Beyond 2021”?

Correct Answer is  Jayanta Ghosal.

• The announcement about the release of the book was made on 5th January 2022, the birthday of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister (CM) of West Bengal and the leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party.
• The book will be published on 24th January 2022.

Q.2. Who has authored the book titled “Gandhi’s Assassin: The Making of Nathuram Godse and His Idea of India” ?

Correct Answer is  Dhirendra K. Jha.

• The book is published by Vintage Books.
• The book explores Godse’s relationship with the organizations that influenced his view and gave him a sense of purpose and draws out the gradual hardening of Godse’s resolve that led to Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination.

Science and Defence

Q.1. Which ship manufacturing company handed over the first of the 23 battery-powered electric boats being constructed for the water metro project under the Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL)?

Correct Answer is  Cochin Shipyard Limited.

• This is the first of the 23 boats awarded for building to Cochin Shipyard under the Kochi Water Metro project.
• Five boats are under construction and will be handed over to KMRL in a couple of months by the CSL.
• The construction of water metro terminals is also progressing.

Q.2. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science & Technology at?

Correct Answer is  Chandigarh University.

• He also launched Scholarship Scheme, worth Rs 10 crore, for the wards of Defence Personnel of the three Services.
• It is established with the objective of training students in space science, satellite development and meet future challenges in space research.
• It would be the Ground Control Station for the Chandigarh University's Student Satellite.

Q.3. Multinational naval exercise Milan was conducted in which place?

Correct Answer is  Visakhapatnam.

• The theme of this 11th edition of exercise Milan is camaraderie, cohesion and collaboration. This exercise was initiated in 1995 and held biennially and conducted with friendly navies.
• The countries that have been extended invitations for participation include Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Israel, Iran, France, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brazil, United Arab Emirates, among others.