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

Important News – India

Q.1. Which ministry has organised 'Sabka Vikas Mahaquiz'?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).

• To create awareness among the citizens about the schemes and initiatives of the government.
• The first quiz was on Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution.

Q.2. Which ministry has developed ‘e-DAR’ (e-Detailed Accident Report) portal?

Correct Answer is Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

• Digitalized DAR will be uploaded on the portal for easy access.
• It is designed by the government in consultation with insurance companies
• It will provide instant information on road accidents with a few clicks and help accelerate accident compensation claims, bringing relief to victims’ families.

Q.3. At which place PM Narendra Modi has unveiled 108-feet statue of Lord Hanuman?

Correct Answer is Morbi, Gujarat.

• The statue is the second of the four statues being set up in the four directions across the country, as part of 'Hanumanji Char dham project.
• First statue of this series was set up at the Jakhu hills in the north in Shimla in 2010 and has been sculpted by a Rajasthan sculptor.
• The work on the statue in the south at Rameswaram has been started.

Q.4. Which government organisation will launch National Data and Analytics Platform (NDAP) in May to provide government data in a user-friendly format, promoting data-driven decision making and research?

Correct Answer is NITI Aayog.

• Aim to standardize data across govt sources and provide flexible analytics that make it easy for users to analyze information using multiple datasets
• It will have 200 datasets from more than 46 ministries at the launch time. New datasets will be added up to village level in the future.

Q.5. In which state PM Narendra Modi has virtually dedicated 200-bed K K Patel Super Speciality Hospital to the nation?

Correct Answer is Bhuj in Kutch district of Gujarat.

• It has been built by Shree Kutchi Leva Patel Samaj, Bhuj and is the first charitable super specialty hospital in Kutch region.
• It will guarantee quality medical treatment for people of Kutch including lakhs of soldiers, par military personnel and traders.
• It is in line with the policy of Central govt to set up at least one medical college.

Q.6. Which edition of HunarHaat has been inaugurated by Anurag Thakur (Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports)?

Correct Answer is 40th edition.

• The 40th 'HunarHaat' is a feasible platform to promote 'Swadeshi' products in Mumbai from 16th to 27th April 2022.
• Under the initiative of Tejas skilling programme the skilled manpower will be sent to UAE.

Q.7. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth has arrived in Mumbai on an eight-day visit to India. He is the Prime minister of which country?

Correct Answer is Prime Minister of Mauritius.

• Mauritius PM participated in the Ceremony of the WHO-Global Centre for Traditional Medicine at Jamnagar on 19th April and the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit at  Gandhinagar in Gujarat on 20th April.
• Pravind Kumar Jugnauth also visits Varanasi. The visit improves the bilateral relations between the two nations.

Q.8. In which state Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has unveiled a bronze statue of Pinnamaneni Koteswara Rao?

Correct Answer is Krishna District of Andhra Pradesh.

• Pinnamaneni Koteswara Rao served as Krishna Zilla Parishad Chairman for over 27 years in Machilipatnam.
• VP will participate in various programmes arranged at Swarna Bharat Trust, Atkuru near Vijayawada.

Q.9. In which state of India, PM Modi has inaugurated WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine?

Correct Answer is Gujarat.

• During his three-day visit to Gujarat, he visit the Command and Control Centre for Schools in Gandhinagar.
• He dedicated the Banas Community Radio Station, to provide farmers key scientific information related to agriculture and animal husbandry.

Q.10. What is the name of India's first-ever radio channel for the visually impaired?

Correct Answer is Radio Aksh.

• It was launched in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The Blind Relief Association Nagpur and SamdrushtiKshamata Vikas AvamAnusandhan Mandal jointly launched the pioneers of the concept.
• This initiative will help the visually impaired to gain seamless access to audiobooks and education resources.

Q.11. What export (in %) has been recorded of sugar in India from 2013-14 to 2021-22?

Correct Answer is  291%.

• India's sugar export was USD 1,177 million in the financial year 2013-14 to USD 4,600 million in the last financial year.
• The sugar export has jumped 65% in 2021-22 corresponding to the previous year.
• The country had exported sugar worth 1,965 million US dollars in 2019-20, which increased to 2,790 million US dollars in 2020-21.

Q.12. At which pass the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will build the world’s highest tunnel at 16,580 feet to connect Himachal Pradesh to Ladakh ?

Correct Answer is Shinku La Pass.

• The construction will begin by July this year and be completed by 2025.
• The Centre has already made ‘Project Yojak’ of BRO to execute this ambitious project.

Q.13. In which state the nation's first portable solar rooftop system has been inaugurated?

Correct Answer is Gujarat (Swaminarayan Akshardham temple complex in Gandhinagar).

• The 10 Photovoltaic Port has been manufactured by Servotech Power Systems Ltd (New Delhi).
• It is designed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft fur InternationaleZusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Q.14. What is the export of India's non-basmati rice in FY 2021-22?

Correct Answer is USD 6115 million.

• Export of non-basmati rice has registered a growth of 27% in 2021-22.
• West African country, Benin is one of the major importers of non-basmati rice from India.
• As per Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) data, India exported rice to over 150 countries across the globe in 2021-22.

Q.15. Skill India in alliance with the Directorate General of Training (DGT) organized which fair across the country on 21st April 2022?

Correct Answer is Apprenticeship Mela.

• Aim to support the hiring of more than one lakh apprentices and assist employers in tapping the right talent.
• The National Policy of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship was launched by the Prime Minister on July 15, 2015, to recognize apprenticeship to a skilled workforce with adequate compensation.

Q.16. Which institution has signed an MoU with International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) to provide skilled talent pool in the insurance sector in International Financial Services Centres (IFSCs)?

Correct Answer is National Insurance Academy (NIA).

• This MoU undertakes to build the required skilled manpower for the IFSC.
• IFSCA had already executed an MoU with the Insurance Institute of India (III) with the focus to address needs of IFSC Insurance entities.

Important News – State

Q.1. Which state observed 'Equality Day' on the birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar on April 14?

Correct Answer is Tamil Nadu.

• The government also informed that swift action taken on any representation aimed at the growth of all the Tamils.
• The DMK government already declared Periyar's birth anniversary on September 17 as social justice day.

Q.2. Name the sea festival which was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan in Puducherry?

Correct Answer is I Sea PONDY-2022

• The four days festival will be celebrated in Puducherry Gandhi Beach, Pondy Marina, and Sandunes of Paradise Beach.
• Various cultural events and contests organised during the festival.

Q.3. Who has been appointed by the Karnataka government as the brand ambassador for Brain Health Initiative which was started by the Karnataka Health Department?

Correct Answer is Robin Uthappa.

• The KA-BHI was launched in association with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, NITI Aayog, and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, Karnataka.

Q.4. What is the new name of Chindwara oranges?

Correct Answer is Satpudaoranges.

• The authorities have also created a QR code for the fruit which reveal all the information about the variety.
• Chhindwara oranges have a thin cover and are sweet and juicy.
• With these distinct qualities, cultivators can directly sell fruit to multi-national companies.

Q.5. In which district of Gujarat PM Modi has laid the foundation stone and inaugurated the various projects worth 22,000 crore rupees?

Correct Answer is Dahod in Gujarat.

• Dahod District Southern Area Regional Water Supply Scheme, constructed at Narmada River Basin (Rs 840 crore); Dahod Smart City (Rs 335 crore)
• Manufacturing project of 9,000 HP Electric Locomotives at the Railway Production Unit in Dahod, 10,000 tribals of Panchmahal and Dahod districts (provided Rs 120 crore under PMAY)

Q.6. Which UT has launched Jan Nigrani mobile application to help people lodge complaints related to various schemes online?

Correct Answer is Jammu and Kashmir.

• The app was launched by Jammu and Kashmir under the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj.
• Aim of this app is to report and resolve the grievances of the residents of J&K, against various government schemes launched by the department.

Important News – World

Q.1. What is the name of first device which was to detect COVID-19 in breath samples, which has recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (USA)?

Correct Answer is InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer.

• The device was 91.2% accurate at identifying positive test samples and 99.3% accurate at identifying negative test samples.
• The test can provide results in less than three minutes and the test must be done under the supervision of a licensed health care provider.

Q.2. What is the name of the Bangla new year which was celebrated across Bangladesh on April 14, 2022, with enthusiasm and festivity?

Correct Answer is PohelaBoisakh.

• This festival is also known as Bangla Noboborsho.
• PohelaBoishakh marks the first day of the initial month of Baishakh of the Bengali solar calendar.
• PohelaBoishakh celebrates with other regional festivals like Puthandu in Tamil Nadu, Baisakhi in Punjab, Vishu in Kerala, and Bihu in Assam.

Q.3. According to the World Bank report, by what percent the poverty in India has been declined in 2019 as compared to 2011?

Correct Answer is 12.3%.

• The poverty headcount rate has declined from 22.5% in 2011 to 10.2% in 2019.
• Poverty depletion was higher in rural areas as compared to urban India.
• Rural poverty declined by 14.7% while the urban poverty rate declined by 7.9% from 2011 to 2019.

Q.4. Which social media site has recently adopted a limited-term shareholder rights plan to prevent anyone from having more than 15% stake in company, the plan is also called a 'poison pill'?

Correct Answer is Twitter.

• This will make it harder for Elon Musk to acquire the social media company.
• Currently, Elon Musk has around 9% of Twitter's shares and he has offered to acquire all the shares in Twitter he does not own for 54.20 dollar per share, valuing the company at 41.4 billion dollar.

Q.5. According to the International Monetary Fund(IMF) World Economic Outlook report, what would be the global growth for the calendar year 2022?

Correct Answer is 3.6%.

• Reason: Due to commodity price volatility and disruption of supply chains caused by the war.
• IMF also cut its forecast for India’s FY23 GDP growth to 8.2% from 9%.

Q.6. Who is the Prime Minister of United Kingdom?

Correct Answer is PM Boris Johnson.

• He arrived in India for a two-day visit. He visits Gandhi Ashram, Gujarat Biotechnology University, the plant of JCB Company, and the Akshardham temple in Gandhinagar.
• Johnson holds bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The two Prime Ministers will also review the implementation of the 2030 Roadmap and set their vision for further intensifying cooperation across the full spectrum of bilateral ties.

Q.7. Who has topped the Hurun Global Healthcare Rich List 2022 with a new value of USD 26 billion?

Correct Answer is Dr Cyrus S. Poonawalla, Chairman of Serum Institute of India(SII).

• He is followed by Thomas Frist Jr & Family of HCA Healthcare, Li Xiting and Xu Hang of Mindray (Net value of USD 19 billion).
• China (34) followed by the USA (16), Switzerland (15), Germany (11), and India (9) have the most healthcare industry.

Q.8. Which country has suspended agriculture import from India?

Correct Answer is Indonesia.

• As authorities in New Delhi have failed to register laboratories that test food safety and issue a certificate of analysis (COA).
• Countries like Vietnam and Thailand were able to register their laboratories providing COAs well ahead of time.

Q.9. Which country has been elected to four bodies of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)?

Correct Answer is India.

• The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) is one of the six principal organs of the UN System established by the UN Charter in 1945.
• It consists of 54 members of the United Nations elected by the General Assembly.

Q.10. Which is a new laser-based air defence system successfully tested by Israel?

Correct Answer is Iron Beam.

• A new laser missile-defence system can destroy any airborne object.
• Iron Beam is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses a laser beam to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets, mortars, long-range missiles, anti-tank missiles etc.

Honor & Awards

Q.1. Who has been awarded the International Gandhi Award for Leprosy, 2021 by the Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu?

Correct Answer is Dr. Bhushan Kumar of Chandigarh and SahyogKushtha Yagna Trust, Gujarat.

• The award is instituted by Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation.
• Both Dr. Bhushan Kumar and SahyogKushtha Yagna Trust have been working to raise awareness about leprosy and in providing care to those afflicted with it.

Q.2. Which flagship scheme of Civil Aviation Ministry has been selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 under the category Innovation (General) - Central?

Correct Answer is UdeDesh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN).

• UDAN scheme emphasizes on Good Governance, Qualitative achievements, and last mile connectivity rather than only on achievement of quantitative targets.
• Award consists of trophy, scroll and an incentive of Rs 10 lakh.

Q.3. Which bank has been awarded with the global 'Celent Model Bank' award under the category of 'Payments System Transformation' for building a best-in-class Enterprise Payments Hub (EPH)?

Correct Answer is IndusInd Bank.

• The award recognises the Bank's outstanding journey in creating a cloud-based central payments hub.
• This payment hub is capable of seamlessly processing high transaction loads originating across all forms of payment instructions, and across all originating client touchpoints.

Q.4. Which cricket player has been awarded with the Sir Richard Hadlee Medal at the New Zealand Cricket (NZC) Awards?

Correct Answer is Tim Southee (New Zealand pace bowler).

• Women’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr (Wellington Blaze)
• Men’s Super Smash Player of the Year: Michael Bracewell (Wellington Firebirds)
• International Women’s ODI Player of the Year: Amelia Kerr (Wellington Blaze)
• International Men’s ODI Player of the Year: Will Young (Central Stags)
• Winsor Cup for first-class bowling: Tim Southee (Northern Districts)
• PhylBlackler Cup for women’s domestic bowling: Eden Carson (Otago Sparks)
• New Zealand Umpire of the Year: Chris Gaffaney

Sports News

Q.1. Who has been appointed as the head coach of the Australian men's cricket team?

Correct Answer is Andrew McDonald.

• He has signed an agreement for a four-year contract.
• McDonald has joined the Australian set up as an assistant in 2019.
• McDonald takes over the role of Justin Langer who resigned from messy circumstances in February.

Q.2. In which year India will host the Street Child Cricket World Cup?

Correct Answer is 2023.

• It will be hosted by Street Child United and Save the Children India.
• This world cup will be held in September ahead of the ICC World Cup, and street children and young people take part in a mixed-gender cricket tournament.
• In 2019, Team India South has won the cup after beating hosts England.

Q.3. In which category Sajan Prakash has won gold?

Correct Answer is Men's 200m butterfly.

• Vedaant Madhavan clinched a silver medal in the men's 1500m freestyle event at the Danish Open swimming in Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Prakash stopped the clock at 1.59.27 to stand atop the podium.
• He became the first-ever Indian swimmer to achieve the 'A' qualification mark for the Olympics in Italy(2021).

Q.4. Which team has won the men’s title in the 71st Senior National Basketball Championship after defeating Punjab?

Correct Answer is Tamil Nadu.

• In the men's summit clash, Tamil Nadu pulled ahead after a slow start when Punjab kept pace.
• Indian Railways team has won the women’s title after beating Telangana.

Q.5. Which player has defeated Alejandro Davidovich Fokina to retain the title of Monte-Carlo Masters?

Correct Answer is Stefanos Tsitsipas.

• It was his eighth ATP title. He became the sixth player to win back-to-back Monte Carlo Masters in the Open era.
• He became the first repeat champion at the Monte Carlo Masters since Rafael Nadal in 2018.

Q.6. Recently, Hamish Bennett has announced retirement from his 17-year-old cricket career from all forms of cricket, he was associated with which country?

Correct Answer is New Zealand.

• Bennett has represented New Zealand in T20I against Bangladesh in Mirpur, Pakistan in September 2021.
• Hamish Bennett has made his international debut in October 2010 and represented New Zealand in one Test, 19 ODIs and 11 T20Is.

Q.7. Who has clinched the 48th La Roda International Open chess tournament title in Castile-La Mancha, Spain?

Correct Answer is Grandmaster D. Gukesh.

• He defeated Israel's Victor Mikhalevski in the final round.
• GM Haik M. Martirosyan from Armenia placed second with 7.5 points.
• Indian GMs R Praggnanandhaa finished third followed by RaunakSadhwani (India), Manuel Lopez Martinez Josep (Spain) and Ramon Martinez (Venezuela).

Q.8. Which team has been crowned the champions of the 12th Senior Men's National Hockey Championship after beating Tamil Nadu by 3-1 in the shootout?

Correct Answer is Haryana.

• Haryana has won the trophy for the first time since 2011. The hockey tournament was held in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from April 6 to 17, 2022.
• Karnataka has triumphed over Maharashtra by 4-3 in the third/fourth place classification match.

Q.9. In which event Sunil Kumar, Arjun Halakurki, and Neeraj has won bronze in Greco Roman wrestling category?

Correct Answer is Asian Wrestling Championship, Mongolia.

• Bronze medal winner: Sunil Kumar (87Kg), Arjun Halakurki (55Kg), Neeraj (63Kg)
• Arjun Halakurki has defeated DavaabandiMunkhErdene by 10-7 points in the bronze play-off.
• Neeraj got the better of Uzbekistan's IslomjonBakhramov 7-4 to win the bronze medal.

Q.10. Harpreet Singh and SachinSahrawat have bagged bronze, are related to which sports?

Correct Answer is  Wrestling.

• Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers have concluded their campaign at the Asian Wrestling Championships 2022 in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia.
• Harpreet (82kg) was declared the winner after Jafar Khan from Qatar suffered an injury.
• Sachin Sahrawat(67Kg) won bronze against Uzbekistan’s MakhmudBakhshilloev.

Books and Authors

Q.1. Who is the author of 'Hear Yourself' which has recently released for the Indian subcontinent in Mumbai?

Correct Answer is Author Prem Rawat.

• This is the New York Times bestseller book which is already available in 58 countries and five languages.
• This book assists people to understand their own potential, develop better self-understanding, and help them to find out peace in a noisy world.

Q.2. Who authored the book titled “The Boy Who Wrote a Constitution” which was released on the occasion of the 131st birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar?

Correct Answer is Rajesh Talwar.

• The book was published by Ponytale Books.
• The book seeks to inform the challenging boyhood and growing up years of India’s first law minister.
• The facts are based largely on Ambedkar’s own recollection of his childhood.

Science and Defence

Q.1. What is the name a new laser missile-defense system of Israel which was successfully tested recently?

Correct Answer is Iron Beam.

• It can intercept many kinds of aerial objects ranging from missiles, rockets, anti-tank missiles and even drones. Developed by Rafael Advanced Defense Systems
• It is using directed-energy weapon system and can go a long way in providing aerial defense.
• It is the world’s first energy-based weapons system that uses laser to shoot down incoming UAVs, rockets & mortars at $3.50 per shot

Q.2. Which country has signed an MoU with India to establish a Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing?

Correct Answer is Finland.

• Aim to stimulate innovative research and development projects, demonstrate high industrial relevance, and commercial potential
• India has identified three premier institutes IIT Madras, IISER Pune, and C-DAC Pune for Virtual Network Centre on Quantum Computing.

Q.3. Which edition Joint Staff talks held between India-France in Paris, France on April 12-13, 2022?

Correct Answer is 20th edition.

• The focus of the discussion was on new initiatives under the ambit of existing bilateral defence cooperation mechanism and strengthening ongoing defence engagements.
• The forum was established to enhance defence cooperation between both nations through regular talks at the strategic and operational levels.

Q.4. In which state the Trishakti Corps has organized EX KRIPAN SHAKTI?

Correct Answer is Near Siliguri in West Bengal.

• Orchestrating and synergizing the capabilities of the Indian Army and the Central Armed Police Forces (CRPF) to fight an integrated battle.
• The units of the Trishakti Corps have demonstrated their abilities to hit hard and swiftly with precision during the exercise.

Q.5. From which fighter aircraft the Indian Air Force(IAF) has successfully conducted a test-fire of the live firing of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile?

Correct Answer is Su30- MKI fighter aircraft.

• The missile hit a decommissioned Indian Navy ship under close coordination with the Indian Navy.
• The BrahMos can be fired from submarines, ships, fighter jets and land.
• In 2016, the government decided to integrate the Brahmos into over 40 Sukhoi fighter jets.

Q.6. Which IIT has signed an MoU with Indian Air Force (IAF) for technology development and finding indigenous solutions towards the sustenance of various weapon systems?

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

• Aim to accelerate IAF's indigenization efforts for achieving 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.
• Under this, IAF has identified key focus areas involving technology development and finding indigenous solutions towards the sustenance of various weapon systems.

Q.7. In which place the Oil India Limited (OIL) has set up India's first 99.999% pure Green Hydrogen with an installed capacity of 10 kg per day?

Correct Answer is Jorhat Pump Station in Assam.

• The plant produces Green Hydrogen from the electricity generated by the existing 500kW Solar plant using a 100 kW Anion Exchange Membrane (AEM) Electrolyser array. The AEM technology is being used for the first time in India.
• The production of plant will increase from 10 kg per day to 30 kg per day in the future.

Q.8. Name the sixth and final Scorpene class submarine of the P75 project of the Indian Navy which was launched at Mazgaon Dock Ltd?

Correct Answer is Vagsheer (sixth submarine, Yard 11880).

• Designed by: French naval defence and energy company DCNS
• Manufacturer: Mazagon Dock Limited, Mumbai
• Submarines: INS Kalvari(2017), INS Khanderi(2019), INS Karanj(March 2021), INS Vela (November 2021), INS Vagir(November 2020, sea trial)