Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2021

Notes:
Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Luca Attanasio was killed along with an Italian policeman and their Congolese driver, in an attack on a United Nations convoy which happened in eastern DRC.
They were on a visit to a World Food Programme (WFP) school feeding project in Rutshuru, a town in DRC. Attanasio is the second European ambassador to have been killed while serving in the DRC.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Edappadi K Palaniswami has recently inaugurated the Advanced Institute of Integrated Research in Livestock and Animal Science (AIIRLAS) in the state.
It is located in Thalaivasal of Salem district. It is considered to be the largest such institution in Asia and has been constructed at a cost of Rs.1,023 crore.

Notes:
As per a Finance ministry communication, all private sector banks are allowed to participate in government-related business.
At present, only a select few large private sector are allowed to conduct government-related business, like collection of taxes, pension payments and small savings schemes. The Government has also conveyed its decision to RBI.

Notes:
The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) is an international agreement between all the member countries of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
India as well as South Africa have proposed the WTO to consider the TRIPS waiver on COVID-19 vaccines. If India succeeds in getting the waiver, it will reduce the cost of vaccines significantly and facilitate free flow of medicines and easy technology transfer across the world.

Notes:
British think-tank, the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) said military spending touched USD 1.8 trillion in the year 2020.
Global military spending rose 3.9% compared to the last year. The U.S. remained the world’s largest defence spender in 2020, followed by China. The rapid military expansion of China is the reason for the rise in Asian spending.

Notes:
The state of Assam celebrates the Bir Chilarai Divas every year, to commemorate the birth anniversary of the brave General of Assam, Chilarai.
Chilarai was a great general of the Koch Royal Dynasty of Assam. He played a significant role in expanding the great empire of his elder brother Maharaja Nara Narayan. The government of Assam confers Bir Chilarai Award, the highest honor for bravery to individuals.

Notes:
National Science Day is being observed in India every year on 28th of February to commemorate the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’.
On the same day, CV Raman announced the discovery of the ‘Raman Effect’ and he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1930. The theme for National Science Day 2021 is ‘Future of Science and Technology and Innovation: Impact on Education Skills and Work.

Notes:
This year’s Indian Women’s League (IWL) will be hosted by the state of Odisha.
IWL is a top division women’s professional football league in India, which is conducted by All India Football Federation (AIFF). It was first played with 6 teams in Delhi. The last such season was the 4th IWL played with 12 teams in Bangalore.

Notes:
The ‘Zero Discrimination Day’ is observed annually across the world on March 1, by UNAIDS. The day was first celebrated on March 1, 2014.
This year, UNAIDS is focussing on the urgent need to take action to end the inequalities remaining in the world.The symbol for Zero Discrimination Day is the butterfly.

Notes:
The donkey skins are being used to make Ejiao, a gelatin used in the Chinese market for manufacturing traditional medicines. It is a hard gel used sometimes in food or drink or in cosmetics.
It is used in the Chinese market for manufacturing traditional medicines. The increased demand in China for this purpose is believed to be the cause of the sharp decline of India’s donkey population over the last decade.