Weekly Current Affairs (22nd to 28th February 2022) Part - 2 - UPSC PDF Download

Important News – India

Q.1. The Government has approved the scheme of Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for continuation till?

Correct Answer is 2026.

• The proposal entails an expenditure of Rs. 12929.16 crore out of which Central Share is Rs. 8120.97 crores and the State Share is of Rs. 4808.19 crores.
• It has been envisaged to support around 1600 projects under the new phase of the scheme.

Q.2. India's first Biosafety level-3 containment mobile laboratory was launched in which place?

Correct Answer is Nashik, Maharashtra.

• The mobile laboratory has been set up to investigate newly emerging and re-emerging viral infections that are highly infectious and of lethal potential to human beings.
• The laboratory has been designed and built by the Indian Council of Medical Research in collaboration with Mumbai based bio-safety equipment maker Klenzaids.

Q.3. Who has composed the signature tune for "Vande Bharatam" that was released by Minister of State for Culture & External Affairs Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi?

Correct Answer is Ricky Kej and Bickram Ghosh.

• The tune is composed by Grammy Award winner Ricky Kej and Oscar contender Bickram Ghosh
• It was produced for Vande Bharatam, Nritya Utsav of Ministry of Culture presented at Rajpath, New Delhi for Republic Day event 2022.

Q.4. With what financial outlay Centre has approved continuation of Central Sector National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) for a period of five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26?

Correct Answer is Rs 1,827 crores.

• Financial outlay for the scheme: Rs 1,827 crores.
• Income ceiling for the scheme has been increased from Rs 1.5 lakh per annum to Rs 3.5 lakh per annum

Q.5. The ‘Kisan Drone Yatra’ which was inaugurated virtually by PM Modi, was organised at which place?

Correct Answer is Manesar.

• The PM labelled it a “milestone” for Indian agriculture.
• A raft of recent policy relaxations and incentives, including proposals in the Union Budget 2022-23, has opened up India’s vast agriculture sector for commercial use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles.

Q.6. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has approved the continuation of the National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) till?

Correct Answer is 2025-26.

• In eligibility criteria minor changes has been made such as increasing income ceiling from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per annum.
• The objective of the scheme is to award scholarships to meritorious students of economically-weaker sections to deter them from dropping out at class 8 and encourage them to continue their education at secondary stage.

Q.7. Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated Nikarshan Sadan" - The Dredging Museum in?

Correct Answer is Visakhapatnam.

• It displayed models of different types of dredgers, vintage photos, and historical milestones of this dredging behemoth from the Eastern Port City of Vizag.
• He also inaugurated skill development facility - Centre of Excellence in Maritime and Shipbuilding (CEMS) in Visakhapatnam, improving employability.

Q.8. Which organization has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) to implement Sustainable Cities India program?

Correct Answer is World Economic Forum (WEF).

• The partnership gains significance on the backdrop of India's commitment at COP26 summit in Glasgow to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2070.
• The ‘Sustainable Cities India' intends to enable cities to decarbonise in a systematic and sustainable way that will reduce emissions and deliver resilient and equitable urban ecosystems.

Q.9. International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) has launched a cybersecurity hub in which city to address the concerns of its clients across the Asia Pacific (APAC) region?

Correct Answer is Bengaluru.

• The security hub will be one of the only two centres globally. The other one is in the US.
• The IBM global analysis report for 2022 states that Asia emerged as the top-most targeted region for cyberattacks, representing 26% of attacks analyzed in 2021.

Q.10. Indian Railways along Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), has Successfully commissioned India’s first Solar Photovoltaic Plant of 1.7-MegaWatt (MW) at?

Correct Answer is Bina, Madhya Pradesh.

• The plant will directly feed power to traction systems of Indian Railways.
• The move to create a solar plant was taken after Indian Railways decided to be self-reliant for its energy needs and solarise railway stations by utilizing its vacant lands for Renewable Energy (RE) projects.
• The Ministry of Railways has decided to install solar power plants on its vacant unused lands on mega scale.

Q.11. The central government has recently launched an Ombudsperson App for which flagship programme?

Correct Answer is MNREGA.

• It will facilitate hassle free reporting, categorization of grievances and disposal of complaints by
• Ombudsperson
• It will also ensure tracking and timely passing of awards by Ombudsperson.
• The app will ensure transparency and accountability in the ecosystem of MNREGA

Q.12. What is India’s rank in the International Intellectual Property Index 2022, compiled by US Chambers of Commerce?

Correct Answer is 43rd.

• Overall score of India has increased from 38.40 percent (19.20 out of 50) in the ninth edition to 38.64 percent (19.32 out of 50) in the 10th edition
• It is released by Global Innovation Policy Center of U.S. Chamber of Commerce
• Top countries: USA, followed by UK, Germany, Sweden, and France.

Q.13. Name the world's first airport fully powered by solar energy, that is set to become power-positive?

Correct Answer is Cochin International Airport.

• CIAL's solar plants together generate two lakh units of power a day whereas the daily consumption of power in the airport stands at 1.6 lakh units.
• The airport became the first in the world in 2015 to be fully powered by solar energy.

Q.14. In Bhasha Sangam mobile app people can learn 100+ sentences of daily use in how many Indian languages?

Correct Answer is 22.

• The ‘Bhasha Certificate Selfie’ initiative is encouraging people to upload their selfies with the certificate from their social media accounts using the hashtag #BhashaCertificateSelfie.
• Using the app, people can learn 100+ sentences of daily use in as many as 22 scheduled Indian languages.

Q.15. Name the operation launched by Indian government for the evacuation of Indian Nationals from Ukraine due to Russia-Ukraine war?

Correct Answer is Operation Ganga.

• Due to the ongoing tension between Ukraine and Russia, Ukraine has been declared as a no-fly zone by the authorities for the safety and security of the nations. Due to this many Indian nationals were left stranded in Ukraine.
• To help the Indian citizens come back to the country, the government of India decided to conduct a special evacuation mission named Operation Ganga.

Q.16. Union Minister for MSME, Narayan Rane announced establishment of MSME-Technology Centre at?

Correct Answer is Sindhudurg.

• The MSME-Technology Center to be set up at Sindhudurg at a cost of about Rs 200 crore will enhance the competitiveness of MSME industries.
• MSME RuPay Credit card will enable the user to avail the facility of digital payment at any time.

Q.17. BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure-backed BSES has commissioned India’s first ‘Smart Managed EV Charging Station’ in?

Correct Answer is New Delhi.

• Supported by Nordic Innovation, an organisation promoted by the governments of Nordic countries, and executed by Fortum Charge & Drive, it will be the first BYPL operated and managed Smart EV Charging Station.

Important News – State

Q.1. Which state government has launched India’s first Night Navigation mobile application (app) for ferry services?

Correct Answer is Assam.

• The inaugural night journey of an Inland Water Transport ferry fitted with the system sailed between Guwahati and North Guwahati at 9 pm and completed the return journey also in about an hour.
• The night navigation mobile application was developed by the transport department in association with K Raju, the principal scientist of IIT Madras.

Q.2. Which of the following has been designated as Doda brand product?

Correct Answer is Lavender.

• A key decision taken during the meeting was to designate Lavender as Doda brand product, to promote lavender under ‘One District, One Product’ initiative of the Modi Government.
• Doda district in J&K is the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution, or the cultivation of Lavender.
• Though, Lavender cultivation is practiced in almost all the 20 districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

Q.3. Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has announced a collaboration with which tech giant for local startups to connect with the global startup community?

Correct Answer is Google.

• This wider network enables local startups to leverage Google’s programme comprising mentorship and training of startup teams to help scale up their solutions.
• The collaboration will enable Kerala’s startups to join a wider network to leverage Google’s programme comprising mentorship and training of startup teams for scaled-up solutions.

Q.4. Which state govt has launched a four-year mentorship programme called Project Arohan to provide guidance to students and hone their skills?

Correct Answer is Assam.

• In this regard, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma met Anita Rajan, CEO of Tata STRIVE, and skill development of Tata Trusts and sought corporation from them for the project.

Q.5. State-owned SJVN will develop a 400 MW solar park in which state?

Correct Answer is Himachal Pradesh.

• According to a company statement, an in-principle approval has been accorded by the ministry for development of this project under Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Power Parks of its solar park scheme.

Important News – World

Q.1. Which airport continues to be the world’s busiest airport by international passenger numbers for the eighth consecutive year?

Correct Answer is Dubai International (DXB).

• DXB’s annual traffic exceeded forecasts for the year by more than half a million passengers, on the back of a strong last quarter. India continues to be its top destination in passenger volume.

Q.2. Which country has successfully tested naval configuration of the Iron Dome missile defense system, C-Dome?

Correct Answer is Israel.

• C-Dome system: naval version of Iron Dome, which has been used to shoot down rockets fired from the Gaza Strip for the past decade.
• It is being installed on Israel’s latest-generation corvette ships, which protect Israel’s coastline and offshore natural gas assets in the Mediterranean Sea.
• Developed by: Israel Missile Defense Organization.

Q.3. In February 2022, with which country India has signed a Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance agreement?

Correct Answer is France.

• This tie-up will help to explore the potential for collaboration in marine science research for a better understanding of oceans, and ensure that ocean remains a global common, a space of freedom and trade, based on the rule of law.
• The agreement was signed between India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Q.4. Which country and India has launched the second edition of Innovation Bridge that will create a synergistic ecosystem in agriculture and Medtech sectors?

Correct Answer is Israel.

• It will create synergistic ecosystem in agriculture and MedTech sectors
• Indo Israel Innovation Bridge will create avenues to enhance natural partnership and steer it towards mutual benefit and growth

Q.5. Which become the second country after China to implement T+1 stock settlement mechanism in a phased manner?

Correct Answer is India.

• The system will be starting with select stocks and then gradually adding others to fold
• Instruction for this was issued by SEBI on 1st Jan, 2022
• Before this, settlement period of stocks in India was T+2 (two days after actual buy/selling of stock)

Q.6. Which institution will establish its first branch in UAE as part of the India-UAE trade deal?

Correct Answer is The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

• This will be the first time an IIT will be established outside India.
• Presently, there are 23 IITs in India, which are located in various regions of the country offering
• undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level programmes.

Honor & Awards

Q.1. Who received the Best Actor (Male) award in the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) Awards 2022?

Correct Answer is Ranveer Singh.

• The award was presented by Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) in memory of Dadasaheb Phalkeji ‘Father of Indian Cinema’.
• It is India’s only independent international film festival.
• Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Kriti Sanon received awards in the Best Actor and Best Actress category for their performances in movies ’83’ and ‘Mimi’.

Q.2. Who has been honoured with the Outstanding Contribution To Film Industry award at the Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards 2022?

Correct Answer is Asha Parekh.

• Known as the 'Hit Girl' of Indian cinema, Asha Parekh had appeared in many commercially successful films throughout her career.
• She was the highest-paid actor (female) of her time and was one of the most successful actors (female) of the 1960s and 1970s.

Sports News

Q.1. Name the Indian Grand Master who has defeated world champion, Magnus Carlsen in the eighth round of Airthings Masters Chess competition?

Correct Answer is R Praggnanandhaa.

• He won with black pieces in 39 moves to halt Carlsen's run of three straight wins
• Prior to this, Indian registered solitary win versus Levon Aronian along with recording 2 draws and 4 defeats

Q.2. Name the Indian Women Weightlifter who won the Gold Medal in the Singapore International Weightlifting tournament?

Correct Answer is Mirabai Chanu.

• India has concluded its campaign at Singapore Weightlifting International 2022 with eight medals, including six golds and silver and bronze each.
• Each of the eight Indian lifters who registered for Singapore International won medals and secured their spots at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, scheduled to be held in July-August.

Q.3. Tan Kim Her belongs to which country who has been appointed as India's doubles coach in badminton till the Asian Games in 2026?

Correct Answer is Malaysia.

• He has been credited with shaping the careers of doubles specialists Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy
• In his first stint (2015-2019) as doubles coach in India

Q.4. Name the Indian boxer who has won the gold in 52kg category in the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria ?

Correct Answer is Nikhat Zareen.

• Nitu prevailed 5-0 over Italy's Erika Prisciandaro, a former youth world championship bronze-medallist.
• Zareen, on the other hand, outpunched Ukraine's Tetiana Kob, a three-time European Championships medallist 4-1.

Q.5. Who became the first Indian to win a silver in an individual section of the Para World Championships?

Correct Answer is Pooja Jatyan.

• Pooja lost to Italy’s Patrilli Vincenza in the final to be content with the silver medal.
• The compound mixed pair of Shyam Sundar Swamy and Jyoti Baliyan had earlier opened India’s account by winning a silver medal.

Q.6. Who has won the 2022 Mexican Open tennis tournament?

Correct Answer is Rafael Nadal.

• This is 91st ATP title of his career and the third title of the season.
• This is the 4th time that Rafael Nadal has won Mexican Open title, after winning the previous ones in 2005, 2013 and 2020.

Q.7. Sadia Tariq is associated with which sports who won Gold medal recently in a world championship?

Correct Answer is Wushu.

• The 15-year-old from Srinagar participated in the Moscow Wushu Stars championship amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
• Sadia Tariq won the gold medal in junior tournament at the Moscow Wushu Stars Championship 2022.
• She had recently bagged Gold medals in the 19th and 20th Junior National Championship which was held in Haryana and Jalandhar respectively

Books and Authors

Q.1. Who has authored the book titled, “A History of Sriniketan: Rabindranath Tagore’s Pioneering Work in Rural Construction” ?

Correct Answer is Uma Das Gupta.

• It is published under Niyogi Book’s ‘Paper Missile’ imprint.
• Tagore’s work in ‘village reconstruction’ at Sriniketan is not as widely known as his work at Santiniketan, popularly known today as a university town.
• The idea of doing something to redeem the neglected village came to Tagore when he first went to live in his family’s agricultural estates in East Bengal during the 1890s.

Q.2. Who has authored the book titled book titled as ‘The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley’ ?

Correct Answer is Jimmy Soni.

• This book explores the origin of PayPal and its founding team, comprising of Elon Musk, Amy Rowe Klement, Peter Thiel, Julie Anderson, Max Levchin, Reid Hoffman, and many others whose stories have never been shared.
• PayPal: US-based multinational financial technology company.

Science and Defence

Q.1. Which fighter aircraft has been showcased by India in the Singapore Air Show 2022?

Correct Answer is Tejas MK-1.

• India showcased the IAF’s ‘Made in India’ Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mark-One(MK-1), a 4th generation fighter aircraft.
• Singapore Air Show is a biennial event that provides a platform for the Global Aviation Industry to showcase its products.

Q.2. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has conducted sixth edition of Eastern Bridge-VI exercise with which country?

Correct Answer is Oman.

• The exercise named Eastern Bridge-VI is in its sixth edition.
• Exercise Eastern Bridge V was held in October 2019 at the Air Force Base Masirah, Oman.
• The IAF contingent comprised MiG-29 and C-17 aircraft. It was the first time that MIG-29 fighter aircraft participated in an International Exercise outside India.

Q.3. Multinational ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior 22 will be organized by which country, in which Indian Air Force will also participate with a fleet of five Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA)?

Correct Answer is  England.

• Besides the Royal Air Force of the UK, the US, Saudi Arabia, Sweden and Belgium will also participate in the exercise. The multi-nation air exercise named “Ex Cobra Warrior 22” will be conducted at Waddington, UK, from March 6 to March 27.
• The IAF’s C-17 aircraft will provide the necessary transport support for induction and de-induction.

Q.4. The undersea submersible vehicle MATSYA 6000 is capable of taking how many person to a depth of 6,000 metres (m), that will be ready for its launch in 2024 for the Samudrayaan Mission?

Correct Answer is Three.

• The vehicle is designed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and developed by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NIOT under the aegis of Deep Ocean Mission (DOM).

Q.5. A joint team of scientists from DRDO and which IIT successfully demonstrated Quantum Key Distribution link between Prayagraj and Vindhyachal in Uttar Pradesh, a distance of more than 100 kilometres?

Correct Answer is IIT Delhi.

• It was achieved over commercial-grade optical fibre already available in field
• With this, India has demonstrated indigenous technology of secure key transfer for bootstrapping militarygrade communication security key hierarchy

Q.6. In February 2022, with the arrival of the latest three aircraft, how many Rafale fighter aircraft have been received by India till date from France for which it signed a contract with France in September 2016?

Correct Answer is 35.

• The aircraft took off from a French airbase and were provided mid-air refuelling by the Air Force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
• With the arrival of the latest three aircraft, India has now received a total of 35 of the 36 Rafale jets for which it signed a contract with France in September 2016.

Q.7. The Indian Navy received its 12th and final anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8I from which company recently?

Correct Answer is Boeing.

• This is the fourth of four additional aircraft delivered under the options contract signed by the Ministry of Defence in 2016.
• The Indian Navy became the first international customer for the P-8I in January 2009, when it signed a contract with Boeing for eight P-8I Poseidon aircraft for $2.17 billion.

Q.8. Who has authored the book titled ‘The Great Tech Game: Shaping Geopolitics and the Destinies of Nations?

Correct Answer is Anirudh Suri.

• It has been published by HarperCollins India publication.
• The book lays out a roadmap for how any country must develop its own strategic plan to succeed in this technology-dominant era.
• He is the founding partner and managing director of India Internet Fund.

Q.9. The biennial exercise multilateral Naval Exercise “Milan 2022” is being organized in which place?

Correct Answer is Vishakhapatnam.

• It will be conducted over a duration of nine days in two phases with the harbour phase scheduled from February 25 and the Sea Phase from 1st March to 4th March
• Theme: 'Camaraderie - Cohesion - Collaboration'
• It is a biennial multilateral naval exercise incepted by Indian Navy in 1995 at the Andaman and Nicobar Command

Q.10. Which edition of joint military exercise ‘EX DHARMA GUARDIAN-2022’ was conducted between India and Japan at Belagavi (Belgaum), Karnataka?

Correct Answer is Third.

• It will be conducted from 27th February to 10th March 2022.
• It is participated by the 15th Battalion of ‘Maratha Light Infantry Regiment of the Indian Army’ and 30th Infantry Regiment of Japanese Ground Self Defence Forces (JGSDF).