Current Affairs Quiz - January 2022

Notes:
Gram Ujala scheme is a flagship scheme of the Union Ministry of Power. Convergence Energy Services Limited (CESL) is providing high quality LED bulbs with 3 years guarantee at a cost of INR 10 per bulb in exchange of working incandescent bulbs.
Recently, CESL has achieved a remarkable milestone of distributing 50 lakhs LED bulbs under Project Crore of Gram Ujala programme.

Notes:
The Maharashtra Legislative Council passed the Maharashtra Public University Act, 2016 (Third Amendment) bill.
It seeks to give more powers to the Higher and Technical Education Minister in the state-run varsities. The bill also allows the minister to make recommendations to the Governor who is the chancellor of the universities. It also proposes appointment of the Minister as pro-chancellor of the universities.

Notes:
Portuguese football legend Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue has been unveiled in Panaji, Goa to motivate the younger generation towards sports.
This is the first time that the statue of Cristiano Ronaldo has been installed in India. The statue, which weighs around 410 kgs cost around Rs 12 Lakhs.

Notes:
Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah is the Prime Minister of Kuwait. Kuwait has recently formed a new cabinet with a new finance minister and three opposition legislators.
This is the Gulf country’s third cabinet this year after the previous governments resigned in the standoff. The cabinet has only one female minister. It includes three opposition MPs and one pro-government lawmaker.

Notes:
Insurance regulator IRDAI has announced that the state-owned LIC, General Insurance Corporation and New India Assurance have been identified as Domestic Systemically Important Insurers (D-SIIs) for 2021-22.
D-SIIs are perceived as insurers that are too big or too important to fail’ (TBTF). Due to their size, market importance and domestic and global inter connectedness, their failure would cause a massive impact in domestic financial system.

Notes:
As per Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Non-Basmati Rice, Basmati Rice and Buffalo Meat are the top 3 exported products from India in the year 2020-21.
As per APEDA, the total export basket has increased more than Rs.15 lakh crore in 2020-21 in comparison to Rs.83 thousand crore in 2011-12.

Notes:
Researchers have discovered two new species of very rare flower flies from north-eastern India and the Western Ghats.
The newly described species named Monoceromyia flavoscutata and M. nigra, belong to the Syrphidae family. The members of this genus are extremely rare as there are only 12 species reported from India earlier, with this discovery in India after 80 years.

Notes:
The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DARPG) awards the “Prime Minister’s Awards for Excellence in Public Administration” since 2006.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh has recently launched the Web Portal for PM’s Excellence Award, whose registrations began. The prize money was doubled this year from 10 lakh rupees to 20 lakh rupees. The Scheme was restructured in 2020, to recognize the performance of District Collectors towards economic development of the District.

Notes:
India exported goods worth $37.29 billion in December 2021, the highest ever in a month, as per the data released by the commerce and industry ministry.
India’s merchandise export in April-December was nearly 300 billion, which is an increase of 48.85 per cent year-on-year and 26 per cent against the same period in 2019. Hence, India has achieved three-fourths of its annual export target of 400 billion in the first 9 months of FY22. This is due to the high demand for engineering products, petroleum items, and gems and jewellery.

Notes:
DRDO observed the 63rd Foundation Day of its establishment on January 01, 2021. DRDO was established in 1958 with 10 laboratories to enhance the research work in Defence sector.
At present, DRDO is working with several areas including aeronautics, combat vehicles, electronics, instrumentation, advanced computing, simulation among others. DRDO Chairperson declared ‘Export’ as the theme of DRDO for 2021.