ANSWER: A

• The Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Gurugram, Haryana, has been declared as India’s first “Other effective area-based conservation measures” (OECM) site.
• This was informed by the Union ministry of Environment, forest and climate change on the occasion of World Wetlands Day.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) gives OECM tag to those areas that are not protected but support rich biodiversity. The tag designates the area as a biodiversity hotspot on the international map.

About OECM

• OECM is a status for a place that has achieved effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity outside protected areas like forests.
• The park, which once was an abandoned mining pit, was transformed into a lush green forest patch in 10 years. Now, it has about 400 native species of plants.

About IUCN

• The IUCN is a global union composed of both government as well as civil society organisations. With more than 1400 organisations as its members, the IUCN is an international authority on the status of the natural world.
• Established in 1948, the IUCN has the tools and knowledge repository to help the world conserve nature and ensure sustainable development.
• It established the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 1964.
• The IUCN’s Secretariat is in Gland, Switzerland.

ANSWER: D

• A Trilogy book series titled, ‘India, That is Bharat: Coloniality, Civilisation, Constitution’ is authored by J Sai Deepak and published by Bloomsbury India.
• The 1st part was released on 15th August 2021, is set to launch the 2nd part in June 2022. Whereas, the 3rd and last part will be released in June 2023.
• It is the first part of a comprehensive trilogy, which examines the impact of European ‘colonial consciousness’ (or ‘coloniality’), on Bharat (India).It highlights how colonialism changes the socio-religious culture, history, education, language and racial patterns in India.
• India, That Is Bharat, the first book of a comprehensive trilogy, explores the influence of European ‘colonial consciousness’ (or ‘coloniality’), in particular its religious and racial roots, on Bharat as the successor state to the Indic civilisation and the origins of the Indian Constitution.

ANSWER: C

• On February 3, 2022, Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy told the Rajya Sabha that Punaura Dham of Bihar has been included in the Ramayana circuit of the Swadesh Darshan scheme and in the PRASAD scheme.

About Punaura Dham

• Maa Janaki Janmabhoomi Temple is located in Punaura Dham village of Sitamarhi district of Bihar, which is also known as Punaura Dham.
• It is worth mentioning that the PRASAD scheme was launched in the year 2014-15 with the objective of improving the facilities and infrastructure at pilgrimage centers of all religions.
• At the same time, Swadesh Darshan Scheme was started in the year 2014-15 for the theme based Integrated development of tourist places like Ramayana Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Jain Circuit etc.
• In Bihar, development of Patna Sahib under Prasad scheme and development of Jain circuit under Swadesh Darshan scheme, development of Kanwariya circuit, development of Gandhi circuit, Ramayana circuit and Buddhist circuit are included.

ANSWER: B

• Recently, the Government has clarified that Aadhaar of husbands is not mandatory under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, PMMVY, to facilitate the inclusion of single mothers and abandoned mothers.

About PMMVY

• It is a maternity benefit programme being implemented in all districts of the country with effect from 1^st January, 2017.
• It is a centrally sponsored scheme being executed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• Cash benefits are provided to pregnant women in their bank account directly to meet enhanced nutritional needs and partially compensate for wage loss.
• Implementation of the scheme is closely monitored by the central and state governments through the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana – Common Application Software (PMMVY-CAS).
• PMMVY-CAS is a web based software application that enables tracking the status of each beneficiary under the scheme, resulting in expedited, accountable and better grievance redressal.
• Beneficiaries
• All Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM),excluding those who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or PSUs or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force.
• All eligible Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers who have their pregnancy on or after 1^stJanuary 2017 for the first child in the family.

Benfits

• Beneficiaries receive a cash benefit of Rs. 5,000in three installments on fulfilling the following conditions:
• Early registration of pregnancy
• Ante-natal check-up
• Registration of the birth of the child and completion of the first cycle of vaccination for the first living child of the family.
• The eligible beneficiaries also receive cash incentive under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY). Thus, on an average, a woman gets Rs. 6,000.

ANSWER: D

• Chhattisgarh became the first State in the country to launch a financial assistance scheme –Rajiv Gandhi Bhumiheen Krishi Mazdoor Nyay Yojana, for the landless agri labourers.
• The scheme provisions payment of Rs 6,000 per year to landless agri labourers in three equal instalments.
• It is expected to benefit 3.55 lakh agriculture labourers of the State.
• Gandhi handed a Rs 2,000 cheque to some of the beneficiaries and the remaining ones got the amount transferred to their bank accounts.

ANSWER: A

• World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February (1-7 February), after General Assembly designation in 2010.
• World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), was conceived to promote cultural peace and nonviolence. The World Interfaith Harmony Week is based on the pioneering work of The Common Word initiative.
• This initiative, which started in 2007, called for Muslim and Christian leaders to engage in a dialogue based on two common fundamental religious Commandments; Love of God, and Love of the Neighbour, without nevertheless compromising any of their own religious tenets.
• The Two commandments are at the heart of the three Monotheistic religions and therefore provide the most solid theological ground possible.
• World Interfaith Harmony Week (WIHW), conceived to promote culture, peace and nonviolence, was first proposed by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010.

ANSWER: D

• The ‘International Day of Human Fraternity’ is celebrated across the world on 4th February.
• The day aims to raise awareness about different cultures and religions, or beliefs, and the promotion of tolerance; and to educate people that tolerance, pluralistic tradition, mutual respect, and the diversity of religions and beliefs promote human fraternity.
• It also aims to educate people that tolerance, pluralistic tradition, mutual respect, and the diversity of religions and beliefs promote human fraternity.
• The first International Day of Human Fraternity was held in
• The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to declare 4 February as International Day of Human Fraternity on 21 December 2020. The Day is a part of the ‘World Interfaith Harmony Week’, observed during the first week of February, as proclaimed by UN General Assembly in 2010.

ANSWER: C

• World Cancer Day is marked on February 4th every year to raise awareness about cancer and encourage its early detection and prevention.
• According to World Health Organisation, cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly one in six deaths.
• The World Cancer Day 2022 theme is “Close the Care Gap”. The theme aims to increase awareness about the inequities in cancer care. The theme has been launched as a three-year campaign.
• World Cancer Day Significance –As per recent studies, about one out of six people in the world die from cancer, which is more than the number of deaths caused by tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and malaria combined.
• In India alone, a 2020 WHO study revealed that one in every 10 Indians will develop cancer and one in every 15 will die. According to the study, India has a population of almost 1.35 billion reported around 1.16 million new cancer cases and 784,800 cancer deaths in 2018.
• Overall, India ranks third among nations in terms of the highest number of cancer cases. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has estimated a 12 percent rise in cancer cases in India by the next five years.

ANSWER: A

• The Uttar Pradesh state tableau was adjudged as the best state tableau of Republic Day Parade 2022.
• The UP tableau 2022 showed Kashi Vishwanath Dham’s glorious history and achievements of the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.
• Maharashtra state tableau was selected as the best in the popular choice category.
• The Maharashtra tableau depicted the five bio-diversity symbols of the state – state bird ‘Hariyal’, state animal ‘Shekru’ or the Indian giant squirrel, state tree ‘Mango’, state butterfly ‘Blue Mormon’ and state flower ‘Jarul’.
• The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) was adjudged as the best marching contingent among the CAPF, while the Indian Navy was selected as the best marching contingent among the Services. The Indian Air Force contingent won in the popular choice category.
• The tableau of Ministry of Education and Ministry of Civil Aviation were declared as best tableau among Ministries.
• Every year, the defence ministry announces the best tableau among states and ministries and best marching contingent and the best cultural performance.
• A total of 21 tableau had participated in Republic Day Parade 2022 from 12 states and nine ministries and government departments.

ANSWER: B

• Senior scientist GA Srinivasa Murthy has been appointed director of Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in Hyderabad.
• He joined DRDL in the year 1987 and made significant contributions in the area of structural dynamics, ground resonance testing, electrical integration and checkout for various projects of the missile complex.

About DRDL

• DRDL is responsible for the design and development of state-of-the-art Missile Systems and technologies required for the deterrence and defence of the country. Systems and Technologies developed by DRDL are deployed on underwater, sea, land as well as air based platforms.
• DRDL is working on several technologies required for the Missiles and Strategic Systems including; Aerodynamics and Airframe Design, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Solid, Liquid, Ramjet and Scramjet Propulsion, Precision Fabrication, Systems Analysis, as well as the Command and Control systems for missile based weapon systems.

ANSWER: C

• In line with National Hydrogen Mission, State gas utility GAIL (India) has commenced India’s first-of-its-kind project of mixing hydrogen into the natural gas system in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
• The hydrogen blended natural gas will be supplied to Avantika Gas Ltd, one of GAIL’s joint venture with HPCL, for retailing of CNG to automobiles and piped natural gas to households in Indore, the company said in a statement.
• GAIL started injection of grey hydrogen at the city gate station (CGS), Indore.
• The grey hydrogen would subsequently be replaced by green hydrogen.

• Types of hydrogen
• Blue hydrogen is when natural gas is split into hydrogen and CO2. The CO2 is captured and then stored.
• Grey hydrogen is a similar process to blue hydrogen but the CO2 is not captured and is released into the atmosphere.
• Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by splitting water by electrolysis using electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind or solar. This produces only hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is used and oxygen is vented into the atmosphere with no negative impact.

Answer: A

• Chamba district has achieved 100 per cent targets under the Jal Jeevan Mission
• Under the mission, 99.41 per cent of the targets had been achieved while the remaining houses would be connected with the facility of ‘Har ghar nal se jal’ soon.

About Jal Jeevan Mission

• Jal Jeevan Mission, is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
• The programme will also implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission will be based on a community approach to water and will include extensive Information.