ANSWER: A

• The ONORC plan for nation-wide portability of the National Food Security Act (NFSA) ration cards has been enabled in the Chhattisgarh State from 2^ndFebruary 2022.
• With the integration of Chhattisgarh, the ONORC plan is now operational in 35 States/UTscovering almost 8% NFSA population (about 77 Crore NFSA beneficiaries) in the country.

About ONORC

• ONORC is a techn ology driven distribution system which makes food security portable across the country and is very beneficial for migratory NFSA beneficiaries, who frequently change their place of dwelling in search of temporary employments, etc.
• This provides them with an option to get their entitled quota of foodgrains from any FPS of their choice, anywhere in the country, by using their same/existing ration card.
• It is also noteworthy that the families of the migratory beneficiaries back home, can also avail the balance ration without any difficulty.

Salient Features of One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

• It is being implemented under the Integrated Management of PDS (IMPDS.)
• 65 crores beneficiaries are being covered under the ONORC scheme.
• 80 percent of beneficiaries registered under NFSA have been covered under the scheme.
• 81 crores beneficiaries are reported to get the benefits of this scheme once all states/UTs will be integrated under the scheme.

ANSWER: C

• The Prime Minister presented a Chadar which shall be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.

About Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti 

• Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was born in Sijistan (modern-day Sistan) in Iran in 1141-42 CE.
• He went on to Hajj, Mecca, and Medina after receiving Khilafat at the age of 52 from Sheikh Usman Harawani.
• Later, he started living and preaching in Ajmer.
• He was soon able to draw the local populace, poor people, peasants, and nobles from far and wide and even drew the attention of the Kings.
• The Dargah complex of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti was built in Indo-Islamic style of architecture.
• A golden crown offered by Nawab Haider Ali Khan of Rampur sits on top of it and a lotus adorns the dome.
• Moinuddin Hasan Chishti earned the name Khwaja Garib Nawaz, or cherisher of the poor.

ANSWER: B

• The fifth submarine of Project 75, Yard 11879, Indian Navy’s Kalvari class commenced her sea trials on 01 Feb 22. The submarine was launched in Nov 2020 from the Kanhoji Angre Wet Basin of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL).
• The submarine would be named Vagir, after commissioning.
• Three submarines INS Kalavari, INS Khanderi and INS Kharanj have been commissioned into the Indian Navy.
• Trials of 4th and 5th submarines, the INS Vela and INS Vagirare underway while the construction of the 6th Vagsheer is underw ay.

About Project 75

• Project-75 (I) envisages indigenous construction of six modern conventional submarines with contemporary equipment, weapons & sensors including Fuel-Cell based AIP (Air Independent Propulsion Plant), advanced torpedoes, modern missiles and state-of-the-art countermeasure systems.
• This would provide a major boost to the indigenous design and construction capability of submarines in India, in addition to bringing in the latest submarine design and technologies as part of the project.
• The overall aim is to progressively build indigenous capabilities in the private sector to design, develop and manufacture complex weapon systems for the future needs of the Armed Forces.
• The project would not only aid in boosting the core submarine/shipbuilding industry but would also greatly enhance the manufacturing/industrial sector, especially the Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by developing an industrial ecosystem for the manufacture of associated spares/systems/equipment related to submarines.
• This will be an important step towards meeting broader national objectives, encouraging self-reliance and aligning the defence sector with the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the Government.

ANSWER: A

• Two new Ramsar sites — Khijadiya wildlife sanctuary in Gujarat and Bakhira wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh — were announced on the occasion of World Wetlands Day at Sultanpur national park.
• India now has a network of 49 such sites, the highest in South Asia, covering 10,93,636 hectares.
• Ramsar sites are wetlands of international importance as per UNESCO’s 1971 Convention on Wetlands held in Ramsar, Iran.

About World Wetlands Day

• World Wetlands Day, celebrated annually on 2 February, aims to raise global awareness about the vital role of wetlands for people and planet.
• This day also marks the date of the adoption of the Convention on Wetlands on 2 February 1971, in the Iranian city of Ramsar.
• This year is especially significant as World Wetlands Day 2022 will be observed as a United Nations international day for the first time.
• The theme of World Wetlands Day 2022 is ‘Wetlands Action for People and Nature’.
• It aims to highlight the importance of actions to conserve and sustain wetlands.

ANSWER: D

• North East Centre for Technology Application and Reach (NECTAR) under Saffron Bowl project has identified few locations in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya for saffron cultivation.
• In Arunachal Pradesh, there is a good growth of organic saffron with flowers. In Meghalaya, sample plantations were grown at Cherrapunji, Mawsmai and Lalingtop sites.
• The following sites have been identified in Meghalaya under the Saffron Bowl project: Barapani, Cherrapunji, Mawsmai, Shillong, and Lalingtop.

About NECTAR

• NECTAR is an autonomous society, set up under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, with its headquarters at Shillong, Meghalaya.
• With this, the government is looking at harnessing and leveraging niche frontier technologies available with central scientific departments and institutions.
• The aim is to be the leading Centre to foster, nurture and ensure the delivery, sustenance, and use of technology applications for public and social good; and to reach and expand the benefits of technology among people, communities, institutions, and governments for equitable and inclusive social and economic development of the Northeastern Region of the country.

About Saffron

• Saffron is a plant whose dried stigmas (thread-like parts of the flower) are used to make saffron spice.
• Saffron cultivation is believed to have been introduced in Kashmir by Central Asian immigrantsaround the 1st Century BCE.
• It has been associated with traditional Kashmiri cuisine and represents the rich cultural heritage of the region.
• In ancient Sanskrit literature, saffron is referred to as ‘bahukam’.
• It is presently cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Pampore region,commonly known as Saffron bowl of Kashmir, is the main contributor to saffron production.
• Pampore Saffron Heritage of Kashmiris one of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage systems (GIAHS) recognised sites in India.

ANSWER: B

• The Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costohas been re-elected after his centre-left Socialist Party secured a landslide victory in the 2022 Portuguese legislative election.

About Portugal

• Portugal, is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira. It features the westernmost poi nt in mainland Europe, and its Iberian portion is bordered to the west and south by the Atlantic Ocean and to the north and east by Spain, the sole country to have a land border with Portugal. Its two archipelagos form two autonomous regions with their own regional governments.
• The official and national language is Portuguese.
• Lisbon is the capitaland largest city.
• Portugal President: Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa;
• Portugal Currency: Euro.

ANSWER: A

• The three days long Torgya Festivalof the Monpa tribal community of Arunachal Pradesh is celebrated at Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh. 
• The main attraction of the festival is the ‘Sha-na Cham’,the ritual dance performed by monks to showcase the Choe-G yal Yap & Yum Tsa-Munde deity.
• This year is the ‘Dungyur Torgya’ festival, which marks a special occasion as every 3rd year, the festival is organized on a broader level with the name Dungyur Festival during which Dalai Lama offers blessings (also known as Tse-Boom) to other lamas by sending Feb Jum which is a holy item to be used in rituals.

ANSWER: C

• Chie f Electoral Officer’s office of Punjabunveiled its election mascot, “Shera” (Lion).
• It aims to increase voter awareness, participation and promote ethical voting in the Punjab Assembly polls that is scheduled on 20 February 2022.
• The mascot “Shera”, depicts a lion. It represents the rich cultural heritage of Punjab.
• It is promoted under the Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP)project of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
• SVEEP project was started in 2009, as the flagship program of the ECI for voter education.

Answer – A

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated a scheme “SMILE – Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”, which includes sub scheme -‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’.
• The focus of the sub-sch eme is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities and intervention, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages to the transgender persons.
• Ministry has also initiated 12 pilot shelter homes namely Garima Greh: Shelter Home for Transgender Persons and provided financial assistance to community-based organizations (CBOs) for setting up of these shelter homes.
• These pilot shelter homes are in States of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Odisha and also including Bihar.
• The main aim of Garima Greh is to provide shelter to transgender persons with basic amenities like food, medical care and recreational facilities.

Answer – A

• Olympics gold medal winner Neeraj Chopra was nominated for the prestigious Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year award, making him the first Indian to be featured in the short-list for this category.
• At the Tokyo Olympics, the 23-year-old Neeraj Chopra became only the second Indian to win an individual gold medal in the Games’ history.
• The javelin thrower was clubbed alongside tennis stars Daniil Medvedev and Emma Raducanu among others.
• Neeraj Chopra is only the third Indian to fetch a Laureus nomination after cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar and wrestler Vinesh Phogat

About The Laureus World Sports Awards

• The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year.
• It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation founding patrons Daimler and Richemont.