Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2021

Notes:
Malayali is a tribal group from the Eastern Ghats residing in North Tamil Nadu. They also form the largest Scheduled tribes in that region, with over 3.5 lakh population.
Giant Rock Bee Honey sourced from the Tribes was recently added to Tribes India Collection, as per the press release by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Over 35 new organic tribal products have been listed in the Tribes India outlets and website under ‘From Our Home to your Home’ campaign.

Notes:
The European Union and China have recently agreed to the long-awaited investment treaty, which aims to open up new corporate opportunities.
The accord was confirmed by China’s president Xi Jinping and EU leaders including European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. This is also the most ambitious treaty China has ever agreed with a third country.

Notes:
Former General Manager of the Eastern Railway, Suneet Sharma has been appointed as the new Chairman & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Railway Board (Ministry of Railways).
He will also serve as the ex-officio Principal Secretary to Government of India. After the completion of the term of incumbent chief V K Yadav, the appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved Suneet Sharma as the new Chairman & CEO.

Notes:
As per media reports, China has recently completed the track-laying work for a railway line which links the cities of Lhasa and Nyingchi in Tibet.
The cities are close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh. This Sichuan-Tibet Railway is the second railway into Tibet, which starts from the capital of Sichuan Province, Chengdu and enters Tibet.

Notes:
Prime Minister released a certification course on innovative construction technologies named NAVARITIH (New, Affordable, Validated, Research Innovation Technologies for Indian Housing).
He also laid the foundation stone of Light House projects (LHPs) under Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC)- at six sites across six states.

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced the annual awards for excellence in implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) Mission.
In the best performing states category, Uttar Pradesh bagged the first place, followed by Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. In the North East region and Hilly states, Tripura bagged the first place. Vishakhapatnam was named the best performing Municipal Corporation.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a loan agreement recently.
As per the agreement, the ADB will provide a USD 231-million loan to improve electricity generation capacity in Assam by construction of a 120- (MW) hydroelectric power plant. The proposed hydroelectric project is a project over Kopili river.

Notes:
The Parliament of Kazakhstan signed the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
It is a document which commits the signatories to abolish capital punishment. Life imprisonment was introduced in the country in 2004 as an alternative punishment. While ICCPR was adopted in 1966, the second optional protocol was adopted in 1989.

Notes:
The Indian Army has created a new human rights cell for the first time in the history. Its aims is to provide more transparency and probity in its functioning in disturbed areas like Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast.
Major General Gautam Chauhan has taken charge as the first additional Director General (human rights) and will report directly to the Army vice-chief.

Notes:
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is organizing ‘Udyog Manthan’, in association with Quality Council of India, National Productivity Council, and major Industry bodies
It is a series of sector-specific webinars to promote the quality and productivity in Indian Industries. The webinar marathon focussing on both manufacturing and services is being held from January 4, 2021 to March 2, 2021.