Current Affairs Quiz - May 2022

Notes:
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan released the ‘Mandate document’ for National Curriculum Framework (NCF).
The National Education Policy 2020 recommended the development of NCF in four areas — school education, early childhood care and education, teacher education and adult education. The development of the NCF is guided by the National Steering Committee (NSC), chaired by Dr K Kasturirangan, and supported by the Mandate Group, along with NCERT.

Notes:
The US Food and Drug Administration issued a proposal to ban menthol cigarettes and flavoured cigars.
It aims to reduce smoking in the American population as well as to reducing tobacco-related health disparities. As per a US government survey 85 per cent of African Americans smoke menthol cigarettes. The proposed ban does not cover electronic cigarettes.

Notes:
‘Lingua Franca’ is a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different.
Recently CBSE announced to Kokborok in its curriculum. A confederation of 56 tribal organisations in the state hailed CBSE’s decisions while they called for Roman Script for Kokborok Choba. This is in the backdrop of Union Home Minister’s statements that ‘Hindi would be made compulsory for all Northeast states and Devanagari script will be introduced for all languages without a script.’

Notes:
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has launched a variety of millet products for all age groups at affordable prices, at the AAHAR food fair in New Delhi.
As per the Commerce and Industry Ministry, all the millet products launched by APEDA are gluten-free, 100 percent natural and patented. The 36th edition of AAHAR was jointly organized by APEDA and the India Trade Promotion Organization.

Notes:
India’s ace shuttler P V Sindhu won her second Asian Championships bronze medal as she lost the women’s singles semifinal to Japan’s Akane Yamaguchi.
She faced a three-game loss to top-seed and defending champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan though Sindhu clinched the opening game 21-13. Lee Zii Jia defeated Jonatan Christie for title to win Men’s title while Wang Zhi Yi defeated Akane Yamaguchi in Women’s singles.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently attended the second India-Nordic Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.
He discussed the situation in Ukraine with the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and Iceland during the summit. India and Denmark signed nine agreements including that on Centre of Excellence in Green Shipping, on Migration and Mobility, Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP), etc

Notes:
Harshada Sharad Garud made history by becoming the first Indian to win a gold medal in Weightlifting, at the IWF Junior World Championships at Heraklion in Greece.
She lifted 153-kilogram in the 45-kilogram weight category, to finish on top of the podium. Before the 18-year old sportsperson, there are only two Indians to win a medal in IWF Junior World Championships. Mirabai Chanu had won a bronze in 2013 and Achinta Sheuli won a silver medal last year.

Notes:
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved appointment of Tarun Kapoor, as an advisor to the Prime Minister, in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in the rank and scale of Secretary to Government of India, initially for a period of two years
Former petroleum secretary and 1987-batch IAS officer of the Himachal Pradesh cadre, superannuated as the Secretary of the Ministry of petroleum and natural gas in 2021.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank hiked the repo rate by 40 basis points (bps) to 4.40 per cent, after an unscheduled meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) in May 2022. Next meeting of the MPC is scheduled during June 6-8.
All six members unanimously voted for a rate hike while maintaining the accommodative stance. The decision aimed to contain inflation, which remained above 6 per cent for the last three months. Cash reserve ratio was hiked by 50 bps to 4.5% effective May 21.

Notes:
The Indian Coast Guard commissioned its second Air Squadron ‘845 Squadron (CG)’ at the Coast Guard Air Enclave at Nedumbassery in Kochi.
The new Air Squadron is equipped with the indigenously developed Advanced Mark III (ALH Mark III) helicopters. As of now, four helicopters have been positioned in Kochi to cover the coast of Karnataka, Kerala and Lakshadweep.