Weekly Current Affairs (15th to 21st January 2022) Part - 2 - UPSC PDF Download

Important News – India

Q.1. Zojila project, Asia's longest bi-directional tunnel will connect Ladkah with?

Correct Answer is  Srinagar.

• The project of the NHIDCL, being executed by the MEIL, is envisaged to ensure connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh throughout the year.
• Zojila project, Asia's longest bi-directional tunnel, is a challenging development project in India for strategic reasons too.

Q.2. What is the theme of the 16th India Digital Summit, 2022?

Correct Answer is  Supercharging Startups.

• It is the oldest event of the digital industry in India.
• During the summit, Minister unveiled ‘LEAP’ as the way forward to further strengthen our Startups ecosystem.

Q.3. Union govt has dedicated India's first BHEL-built 'coal to methanol' (CTM) pilot plant to the nation in?

Correct Answer is  Hyderabad.

• The 0.25 TPD capacity CTM pilot plant is currently producing methanol with purity of more than 99% from high-ash coal.
• This conversion of high-ash Indian coal to methanol through the gasification route is the first-of-its-kind technology demonstration in India.

Q.4. Which ministry conducting the open data week from 17th to 21st January 2022, to encourage adoption of open data and promote innovation across India’s urban ecosystem?

Correct Answer is  Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

• The Open Data Week is being conducted from 17th to 21st January 2022.
• It is a part of a series of pre-event initiatives leading up to the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – Smart Cities: Smart Urbanization’ conference to be held next month.

Q.5. Which ministry has organized the 26th CISO Deep Dive Training program under Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative?

Correct Answer is  Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

• The training is aimed to equip participants with better understanding of emerging cyber threat landscape, understand best practices in cyber security.
• It will cover topics such as Governance Risk and Compliance and Data Privacy, Network Security, End Point Security, Application and Data Security, Cloud Security, Mobile Security, Cryptography, Cyber Security related provisions in IT Act.

Q.6. India’s Supermom tigress, popularly known as ‘Collarwali’ passed away at which tiger reserve?

Correct Answer is  Pench Tiger Reserve.

• She was known for giving birth to 29 cubs during her lifetime, which is believed to be a world record.
• Official name given to the tigress by forest department was T-15 but she was fondly called ‘Collarwali’ by the  native people

Q.7. Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has signed MoU with which institution to further strengthen the vocational and technical training framework?

Correct Answer is  IGNOU.

• Aim: to link vocational education and training with higher education, making India’s youth employable by creating avenues for them to access better work opportunities.
• The trainees attached to National Skill Training Institutes (NSTI), Industrial Training Institutes (ITI), PMKK and JSS.

Q.8. On the occasion of the 74th Army Day (15th January), ‘Monumental National Flag,’ the world's largest national flag made from Khadi, was displayed Longewala. The Longewala is located in which of these states?

Correct Answer is  Rajasthan.

• Longewala, in the western part of the desert state's Jaisalmer district, was the site of the iconic Battle of Longewala in 1971, which was fought during that year's war between the two neighbours.

Q.9. The Amar Jawan Jyoti was erected to honour thousands of Indian soldiers who martyred during?

Correct Answer is  Indo-Pak War 1971.

• The Amar Jawan Jyoti was erected as a memorial to fallen soldiers of the 1971 operations that led to the freedom of Bangladesh.
• It is housed inside the India Gate, a British era memorial to soldiers who lost their lives in pre-independence operations.

Q.10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched India-assisted Social Housing Units project in which country?

Correct Answer is  Mauritius.

• Civil Service College and 8MW Solar PV Farm projects are being undertaken under India’s development support in Mauritius.

Important News – State

Q.1. Which state govt will install a statue of Colonel John Pennycuick in the United Kingdom, a British engineer who built the Mullaperiyar dam in 1895?

Correct Answer is  Tamil Nadu.

• Colonel John Pennycuick was a British engineer who built the Mullaperiyar dam in 1895 in Kerala's Idukki.
• The dam is currently operated by the Tamil Nadu government.

Q.2. Which state/union territories has signed an MoU with UAE’s pioneering financial services company, Century Financial that will invest 100 million dollars in the state/UT?

Correct Answer is  Jammu and Kashmir.

• Investment will cover 3 hotels and one commercial cum residential complex in Jammu & Kashmir.
• The owner of Century Financial Sh. Bal Krishen is originally a native of the Doda district of Jammu and has been a forerunner in supporting his home.

Q.3. Which state government has decided to set up an employment mission to create around 15 lakh job opportunities in the state in the next 5 years?

Correct Answer is  Chhattisgarh.

• The mission will be headed by CM Bhupesh Baghel.
• Under the mission, the State government will also leverage expertise of premiere institutions such as the IIT, IIIT, IIM and NIT, in the State to generate employment opportunities.

Q.4. Which state government has approved ‘Mana ooru, mana badi’ programme aimed at allround development and creation of effective basic infrastructure in schools across the State?

Correct Answer is  Telangana.

• The programme will be implemented in three years with a budget of ₹7,289 crore to benefit 19.84 lakh children of 26.065 schools.
• The amount will be spent on setting up digital classrooms, construction of additional classrooms and taking up repairs to schools.

Q.5. Which state has won the maximum number of awards at the 2nd National Startup Awards 2021?

Correct Answer is  Karnataka.

• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Piyush Goyal presented the National Startup Awards 2021.
• This is second edition of the award conceived by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Q.6. Which country announced a USD 500 million credit line to help Sri Lanka purchase petroleum products?

Correct Answer is  India.

• India is poised to provide another $1 billion in credit facility to Sri Lanka for importing food, essential items and medicines.
• India had recently extended foreign exchange support of more than $900 million to Sri Lanka

Q.7. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has joined hands with which state to improve the food security of small and marginal farmers by strengthening their resilience to climate change?

Correct Answer is  Odisha.

• In a pilot initiative, advisories will be provided to small farmers of the state, which is particularly prone to cyclones, to help them adapt to impact of the climate crisis.
• The WFP and the Agriculture Department will develop toolkits, modules, and guidelines during the project to provide services to small farmers.

Important News – World

Q.1. International Folk Art Festival was held in which city?

Correct Answer is  Dubai.

• Lavani is a genre of music popular in Maharashtra and is a combination of traditional song and dance, which is particularly performed to the beats of Dholki, a percussion instrument.
• It is noted for its powerful rhythm and has contributed substantially to the development of Marathi folk theatre.

Q.2. Which country has discovered huge potential natural gas hydrate deposits of 0.11 to 0.73 trillion cubic feet in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ)?

Correct Answer is  Bangladesh.

• It is equivalent to 17-103 TCF of natural gas reserves.
• The study undertaken over the last three years was conducted by the Petrobangla, Bapex, local experts and the National Oceanography centre in Southampton, UK.

Q.3. Which country has built an "artificial moon" research facility that will enable them to simulate low-gravity environments using magnetism?

Correct Answer is  China.

• The gravity of this place can be controlled using powerful magnets by scientists to such low levels that it could successfully simulate the moon’s gravity.
• The artificial moon research facility is scheduled for official launch in the year 2022.

Q.4. 'Infinity Bridge' is an impressive construction in which city of world that was opened to traffic for the first time?

Correct Answer is  Dubai.

• Its design resembles mathematical sign for infinity (∞)
• It represents limitless, infinite goals of Dubai.
• It consists of six lanes in each direction and combined 3-metre track for pedestrians and cyclists

Q.5. In January 2022, which organization has released a report titled ‘Inequality Kills’ that reveals that COVID-19 pandemic has heightened economic inequalities across the world?

Correct Answer is  Oxfam India.

• Wealth of world’s 10 richest men doubled since COVID began.
• Collective wealth of India’s 100 richest people hit a record high of Rs 57.3 lakh crore ($ 775 billion) in 2021.
• Number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142 during COVID

Q.6. What is the theme of the World Economic Forum's Davos Agenda Virtual Summit 2022?

Correct Answer is  The State of the World.

• During his speech, he talked about some of the pressing issues like Covid, climate change, cryptocurrency, reforms and initiatives taken by his government for ease of doing business.
• This is the second consecutive year that the forum has had to host the summit digitally due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Q.7. Which country decided to make Unique Business ID (UBID) mandatory for all e-commerce entities in the country?

Correct Answer is  Bangladesh.

• According to Zunaid Ahmed Palak(State Minister for IT),all digital commerce operators in the country will be required to register with the government using the UBID.
• The use of these mechanisms to regulate the e-commerce sector will restore public confidence in the digital business.

Q.8. As per new state capital law, Indonesia is shifting its capital from Jakarta to which of the following cities?

Correct Answer is  Nusantara.

• The new law has been formulated as Jakarta is prone to flooding amid climate change and also suffers from chronic congestion and air pollution.
• Initial relocation will start from between 2022 and 2024.

Honor & Awards

Q.1. Who won the Best National Costume award at the prestigious Mrs World 2022 pageant in Nevada, Las Vegas?

Correct Answer is  Navdeep Kaur.

• She is the winner of Mrs India World 2021 and was representing the country at Mrs World 2022.
• She wore a striking gold Avant Garde outfit inspired by Kundalini Chakra and was designed by Eggie Jasmin.

Q.2. Who has won the Best FIFA Men's Player 2021 award?

Correct Answer is  Robert Lewandowski.

• Lewandowski won the Best FIFA Men’s Player Award for the second straight year, after getting the first one in 2020.
• Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas Best FIFA Players 2021 award in women’s category.
• Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the FIFA Special Best Men's award.

Q.3. Who has been awarded the Best FIFA Women's Player 2021 award?

Correct Answer is  Alexia Putellas.

• Cristiano Ronaldo has been awarded the FIFA Special Best Men's award.
• The Best FIFA Football Awards 2021 ceremony was held virtually in Zurich, Switzerland to crown outstanding players for excellent achievement in football.

Q.4. How many startups have been declared the winners of National Startup Awards 2021?

Correct Answer is  46.

• This is second edition of the award conceived by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• A total of 46 Startups have been recognized as winners of National Startup Awards 2021 along with 1 incubator and 1 accelerator.

Q.5. Who has been decalared the winner of the Mrs World 2022 beauty pageant?

Correct Answer is  Shaylyn Ford.

• Mrs Jordan, Jaclyn Stapp and Mrs UAE, Debanjali Kamstra, were declared as the runner ups, respectively.

Q.6. Name the former cricketer who has been given the knighthood for his service towards the game of cricket?

Correct Answer is  Clive Lloyd.

• The Clive Llyod knighthood investiture was performed by the Duke of Cambridge at Windsor Castle.
• Along with Clive Llyod Current England ODI and T20 Skipper Eoin Morgan received a CBE for his services to Cricket.

Sports News

Q.1. Name the Indian shuttler who won his maiden Super 500 title by winning men’s singles at the Yonex-Sunrise India Open?

Correct Answer is  Lakshya Sen.

• In men’s singles event he defeated World Champion Loh Kean Yew of Singapore.
• This was the 20-year-old’s maiden entry in the final of a BWF World Tour Super 500 event after he came back from a game down to beat Malaysia’s Tze Yong Ng.

Q.2. 9th National Ice Hockey Championship-2022 was inaugurated in which state/union territories?

Correct Answer is  Himachal Pradesh.

• Ice Hockey competition and development camp is being organized at the national level for the first time in  Himachal Pradesh
• Participants: Himachal Pradesh, Telengana, Ladakh, ITBP Ladakh, Chandigarh and Delhi.

Q.3. Who has been has been named as the captain of the ICC Men's ODI Team of the Year for 2021?

Correct Answer is  Babar Azam.

• He was also named as the captain of the ICC T20I Team of the Year.
• No Indian has featured in the ODI Team of the Year.
• There were no Indians in the ICC T20I Men's Team of the Year but Smriti Mandhana found a spot in the Women's T20I Team of the Year.

Q.4. Name the Indian women cricketer who has been named in the 2021 ICC Women’s T20I team of the year?

Correct Answer is  Smriti Mandhana.

• No Other Indian Player named in Men’s as well Women’s List.
• Smriti Mandhana is India’s highest scorer who scored 255 runs at an average of 31.87 in 2021.
• She scored two fifties in the nine matches with the strike-rate of 131.44.

Q.5. Name the player who beat Andy Murray to lift men’s single title at Sydney Tennis Classic 2022 final?

Correct Answer is  Aslan Karatsev.

• The women’s single title was claimed by Spanish world number nine Paula Badosa, who defeated Barbora Krejcikova 6-3 4-6 7-6(4), to capture her third career title.

Q.6. Who has won the women’s single Indian Open (Badminton) 2022?

Correct Answer is  Busanan Ongbamrungphan.

• Busanan Ongbamrungphan of Thailand won the Women’s Single title.
• Ongbamrungphan, ranked world no. 12, won the women's singles final 22-20, 19-21, 21-13.

Q.7. Name the Indian tennis player who announced her retirement in 2022?

Correct Answer is  Sania Mirza.

• She is a six-time Grand Slam champion, 42-time tour winner, and first Indian woman and third from the country to be the World No. 1 doubles player
• She is the only Indian woman to break into the top 30 in singles, and a two-time Asian Games gold medallist.

Q.8. Who has become the third youngest player to win a Korn Ferry Tour event since the Tour’s establishment in 1990?

Correct Answer is  Akshay Bhatia.

• After this victory, he becomes the third-youngest player to win a Korn Ferry Tour event since the Tour’s establishment in 1990.

Books and Authors

Q.1. Who has released a book titled ‘Prakrtik, Vaidik avem Jaivik Kheti- Graameen Udyamita Ka Naya Swaroop’?

Correct Answer is  Manoj Sinha.

• The book was published by Chudamani Sanskrit Sansthan, Basohli, Kathua
• It was released as a souvenir after the successful conduct of the Annual Festival and foundation day celebrations

Q.2. Who has authored the new biography of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose titled “Bose: The Untold Story of An Inconvenient Nationalist?

Correct Answer is  Chandrachur Ghose.

• The book sheds light on Netaji’s thoughts on independent India’s development, the problem of communalism, geopolitics his political ideology, and how he negotiated with the revolutionary societies, and the govt.
• It will be published by Penguin Random House India under its Viking imprint.

Q.3. Who has authored the book titled ‘The Legend of Birsa Munda’?

Correct Answer is  Tuhin A Sinha and Ankita Verma.

• The has been released by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
• The Book is the story of a lesser-known tribal hero, Birsa Munda, who courageously fought against the oppressive British Raj for the rights of his tribal community.

Science and Defence

Q.1. In January 2022, the Indian Navy has conducted a passing exercise with which country in the Arabian Sea?

Correct Answer is  Russia.

• Indian Navy's indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer INS Kochi exercised with Russian Federation Navy's destroyer Admiral Tributs.
• The exercise showcased cohesiveness and interoperability between the two navies and included tactical manoeuvres, cross-deck helicopter operations and seamanship activities.

Q.2. Indian Navy has conducted maritime Partnership Exercise with the navy of which country in in the Bay of Bengal?

Correct Answer is  Japan.

• The Indian side was represented by Indian Naval Ships (INS) Shivalik and INS Kadmatt while JMSDF Ships Uraga and Hirado the participated from Japanese side.
• Strengthening bilateral relations, promoting defence cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding and interoperability, and sharing best practices between IN and JMSDF.

Q.3. Which become the first country to buy the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile system boosting India’s efforts to become a major exporter of defence hardware?

Correct Answer is  Philippines.

• The Philippines recently signed the ‘notice of award’ or the acceptance of India’s BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd $374.96 million (USD 374,962,800) proposal for supplying the missile system for the Philippine Navy’s shore-based anti-ship missile acquisition project.

Q.4. Name the Indian navy ship that participated in the PASSEX exercises with Russian navy ships in the Arabian Sea in January 2022?

Correct Answer is  INS Kochi.

• Indian Navy's indigenously designed and built guided missile destroyer INS Kochi exercised with Russian Federation Navy's destroyer Admiral Tributs.
• The exercise showcased cohesiveness and interoperability between the two navies and included tactical manoeuvres, cross-deck helicopter operations and seamanship activities.

Q.5. Which Central Armed Police Forces of India has launched Operation Sard Hawa?

 Correct Answer is  Border Security Force (BSF).

• Under the exercise the BSF will increase surveillance along the Pakistan border in Rajasthan.
• The Operation Sard Hawa is conducted during winters and Operation Garam Hawa is conducted during summers.

Q.6. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has signed a contract with which country for export of one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH)-MkIII?

Correct Answer is  Mauritius.

• Mauritius already operates a ALH and Dornier Do-228 aircraft built by HAL.
• The ALH Mk III is a multi-role, multi-mission helicopter in the 5.5 tonne category in extensive use by the Indian armed forces and has also been exported.