Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
The ongoing 74th World Health Assembly declared January 30 as ‘World Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) Day’.
The proposal to recognise the day was initiated by the United Arab Emirates and it was adopted unanimously by the member countries. NTDs are a group of infections caused by a variety of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and parasitic worms.

Notes:
As a measure to mitigate the distress caused due to COVID 19 pandemic, Public Sector Banks (PSBs) in India have announced to provide financial assistance to individuals in the form of unsecured loans up to a limit of Rs 5 lakh.
This is a part of the three new loan products introduced by the PSBs to provide financial support to vaccine manufacturers, hospitals/dispensaries, pathology labs etc.

Notes:
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured the images of the clouds seen above Gale Crater of the Mars. The crater is 154 km in diameter and estimated to be about 3.5-3.8 billion years old.
The image is a combination of 21 individual photographs the rover took recently to study a strange type of cloud over the Gale Crater. The Scientists made the rover watch for the early clouds, as it was observed that the cloud type was forming earlier in the Martian year.

Notes:
Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) has developed India’s first IoT-based temperature logger named AmbiTag. It records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines as well as body organs and blood.
The device is shaped as USB device and it continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone. Presently available devices record data only for 30-60 days while this device can record for 90 days in a single charge.

Notes:
Every year, on 1st of June, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations observes World Milk Day.
This day was first established in the year 2001 to recognize the importance of milk as a global food and to cherish the dairy sector. This year, the theme / prime focus would be on Sustainability in the dairy sector.

Notes:
The National Statistical Office (NSO) released the provisional estimates of annual national income and quarterly estimates.
As per the release, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 1.6 per cent in the fourth quarter (January-March) of 2020-21. Last quarter, there was 0.5 % growth. The GDP contracted to a record low 7.3 per cent, for the full financial year 2020-21. This was a marginal improvement from the earlier estimate of 8 per cent contraction.

Notes:
NASA has planned to send 128 baby squids and some 5,000 tardigrades, also called as Water Bears to the International Space Station for research purposes.
The water animals will be launched aboard SpaceX’s 22nd cargo resupply mission to the ISS. The experiments will also help to understand how beneficial microbes interact with animals. The experiments would also help design protective measures for astronauts going for long space travel.

Notes:
The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has set up an Export Promotion Forum (EPF) to promote exports of dairy products.
It also aims to address various issues in the sector. The authority has recognized two clusters: Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and Banaskantha in Gujarat, to develop dairy merchandise. Farmers and small dairy owners in these clusters shall be given coaching and aid in capability building in exports.

Notes:
Leading rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has pegged India’s GDP growth at 9.3% for the financial year 2021-22. It has further estimated India’s GDP growth at 7.9% for FY23.
The agency has stated that India’s economic activity would be affected by reimposition of lockdown measures along with investment behavioural changes, but the same would not have deep impact on the economy as that during the first wave.

Notes:
Sinovac vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech Ltd has been granted emergency use approval by the World Health Organisation.
WHO has recommended the vaccine to be used by people who are 18 years and above. The vaccine needs to be administered in two doses with a gap of two to four weeks.