Answer: C

• As a major boost to Centre and State collaboration in promoting products under the One District One Product (ODOP) Initiative – a State Conference was held recently organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
• It aims to boost the economy of the region district by district through encouraging indigenous and specialised products of each district.
• The programme providing loans to local production units, artisians and farmers.

Why it is Important

• The ODOP Initiative’s work in Jammu & Kashmir especially its successes in trade facilitation for walnuts and apples was discussed. The ODOP initiative’s facilitation of Jammu & Kashmir’s representation at the Dubai Expo 2020 and successful buyer-seller meets as well as focused trade discussions conducted therein were also highlighted.
• The state of Uttar Pradesh was also able to bring attention to the remarkable success of the UP ODOP Model wherein artisans and producers from all districts of the state have been promoted and assisted under One District One Product (ODOP).
• Tripura outlined a roadmap for ‘Promoting remote districts and boosting local economy’. This included a discussion on the successful collaboration between the State Govt and the ODOP Team thus far, and the next steps that would be taken to promote product development and exports from all the 8 districts of Tripura.
• Some key examples referred to included design trainings for Molela artisans in Rajsamand District, Rajasthan; skill trainings for Muga Silk weavers from Kamrup, Assam, sustained year-year trade facilitation of Lakadong Turmeric from West Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya and the promotion of ODOP products from across districts and categories at international events such as the Dubai Expo 2020.

Answer: D                          

• Ministry of Defence is hosting the 12th edition of prestigious biennial defence exhibition Def Expo 2022 from 10th to 13th Mar 2022 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
• This mega defence International Exhibition is focussing on Land, Air, Naval, Internal Homeland security and electronic systems.

Why it is Important

• The event provides a unique opportunity for firms within the defence industry to showcase their capabilities, products & services to the targeted audience of Industry leaders and business decision makers.
• Government of India with policy initiative of ‘Make in India” and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat” believes that India has tremendous potential to become a leading supplier of complete defence solutions to many of its friendly nations.
• Theme for Defexpo 2022 is “India-The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub”.

Answer: A

• Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally launched the revamped CGHS (Central Government Health Scheme) website and mobile app, “MyCGHS”, today in the presence of Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.

Why it is Important

• This website linked with a mobile app is an important and timely step towards catering to India’s increasing digital penetration.
• The website has several updated features which shall hugely benefit more than 40 lakhs beneficiaries (both in-service and retired personnel) with real-time information from the convenience of their homes.”
• The basket of services is enlarged with the revamped website. With the newly provided feature of tele-consultation, CGHS beneficiaries can seek expert advice directly through teleconsultation.
• With these improved facilities, CGHS aims to further increase its outreach to beneficiaries with ease of providing various facilities.

 Answer: B

• The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India named famous Indian Youtuber and actor Prajakta Koli as India’s first ever ‘Youth Climate Champion’.
• The title has been conferred to her following her contribution towards mental health, women’s rights and girl child education through various global social campaigns.
• About Prajakta Koli:
• Prajakta Koli is known by her YouTube Channel Mostlysane, is an Indian YouTuber and actress who makes comedy videos. Her videos are focused mostly on relatable and observational comedy related to daily life situations.
• She has appeared in the short film Khayali Pulao and starred in the web show Mismatched.
• She joined Google.org to aid grants to non-profits addressing economic inequities faced by women and girls along with other famous youth icons including Shakira, Amanda Gorman, Naomi Osaka.

Answer: A

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Davos Agenda virtually and stated about COVID-19, Environment change, cryptocurrency and other reforms and initiatives taken by the Indian government for ease of doing business.
• The theme of the event is “The State of the World.”

Important Facts Mentioned by PM Modi:

• India constitutes 70 percent of the global population, but it takes up power commission of only 5 percent.
• In December 2021 alone, more than 4.4 billion transactions have been done through UPI (Unified Payments Interface) in India.
• India is the world’s 3rd largest pharma producer.
• More than 50 lakh software developers are working in India. Currently, India has the 3rd largest number of Unicorns in the world. More than 10 thousand start-ups have been registered in the last 6 months.
• He introduced the ‘P3 (Pro-Planet People) movement’ that underlines India’s climate change commitments.
• He recalled the idea of ‘Mission L.I.F.E (Lifestyle for Environment)’, which was introduced by him at the COP26 (26th Conference of Parties) climate summit in 2021.

Answer: D

• Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupender Yadav delivers India’s statement at the Fourth Asia Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation.
• Shri Bhupender Yadav congratulated the Government of Malaysia and Global Tiger Forum (GTF) for organizing the 4th Asia Ministerial Conference on tiger conservation and appreciated the efforts of the Government of Malaysia in creating a role model for mitigation measures with respect to linear infrastructure in tiger habitat

Key facts

• A “Pre-Tiger Summit” meeting was held at New Delhi in 2010, wherein the draft declaration on tiger conservation for Global Tiger Summit was finalised.
• India has achieved the remarkable feat of doubling the tiger population in 2018 itself, 4 years ahead of the targeted year 2022.

Answer: A

• A new Jupiter-like planet that is around 379 light years away from Earth has been discovered through NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS).
• NASA launched TESS in 2018 on an all-sky survey mission to help discover exoplanets around nearby bright stars.

About Planet

• Citizen scientist Tom Jacobs of Bellevue, Washington (United States-US) has discovered a new gaseous planet called ‘TOI-2180 b’ from NASA’ Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS.
• It is almost three times more massive than Jupiter but has the same diameter
• The finding was published in the Astronomical Journal.

Answer: C

• Himachal Pradesh (HP) and Haryana signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the construction of a Adi Badri dam on 77 acres in HP near the Adi Badri area of Yamunanagar, Haryana for the revival of the Saraswati river.
• Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL) would be the executing agency for the Adi Badri dam and its related infrastructure
• The entire funding of the Project would be arranged by the Haryana Government.

About Saraswati River:

• The report from satellite claimed that the Saraswati originated at Adi Badri, an archaeological site which is located around 40 km away from Yamunanagar town of Haryana, at the foothills of the Shivalik mountains, near the Somb river.
• The Saraswati river existed more than 5,000 years ago, but disappeared underground because of earthquakes and other geographical developments.

Research on Existence of Saraswati river:

• The team was set up at the Kurukshetra University for conducting research on Saraswati River which has proved its presence through satellite images
• The Haryana Saraswati Heritage Development Board has also been established to develop 5 riverfronts on the rejuvenated Saraswati river namely at Pipli (near Sabarmati river, Gujarat), Pehowa, Bilaspur, Dosarka (on Panchkula-Yamunanagar road) and the Theh Polar (near Saraswati-Sindhu Civilisation archaeological site).

About Adi Badri Dam:

• The Adi Badri Dam will be constructed at the starting point of the Adi Badri river in Haryana for the continuous flow of water with a notified area of 200 Kilometre (km) from Adi Badri to Ghaggar river via Kaithal.

Answer: B

• Children have chosen anxiety’ as their word of the year for 2021, according to new research from Oxford University Press (OUP).  In comparison, teachers have chosen ‘resilience’.
• OUP has drawn its results from the analysis of the evolution of children’s language, and how they use it to reflect their emotions and experiences, for over a decade now.
• It also drew from the largest children’s English language corpus in the world, the Oxford Children’s Corpus.