Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
The Chandra X-ray Observatory, previously known as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, was launched by NASA, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Recently, an image from this observatory was released by NASA. It shows threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields weaving around each other, at the center of our Mily Way Galaxy. These new observations stretch above and below our galaxy’s plane, where most of the stars are found.

Notes:
Germany and Norway have opened the operations of a 623-kilometer undersea power cable between the two countries. This project is called the NordLink and is aimed to exchange green energy between the two countries.
The project has cost more than $2.2 billion and is seen as a major initiative to shift to green energy.

Notes:
Every year, 31st May is observed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the “World No Tobacco Day”. The theme for this year is “Commit to quit”.
This day was created by the WHO members in the year 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the deaths associated with using tobacco. A resolution was passed in 1988 to observe 31st May as the No Tobacco Day.

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:
New Zealand has entered into an agreement for space exploration with NASA.
With this, New Zealand becomes the eleventh country to sign the Artemis Accord, which is an agreement with NASA to be a part of its plans to send humans to the moon by 2024 and further to Mars.

Notes:
The State Bank of India, in its economic research report “Ecowrap” has predicted India’s GDP to grow at 7.9% for the FY 2021-22.
Earlier the report had predicted a growth of 10.4%, and it has now been downgraded due to the large impact of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal to notify the Second Positive Indigenisation List of 108 items.
With this, all the 108 items will be procured from indigenous sources, as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. The Second list, which comprises of complex systems and weapons, is to be implemented progressively with effect from December this year to December 2025.

Notes:
The Government teachers in Punjab have successfully completed ‘Rabta Muhim’, a week-long campaign, organised by the State School Education Department.
Through the campaign, as many as 12.71 lakh parents of primary students were contacted. The programme was aimed to facilitate the contact between parents and teachers via phone, to discuss about education, health and prevention of children from being infected with Covid.

Notes:
The Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Seed Minikit Programme by distributing kits of higher yielding varieties of seeds to farmers.
It aims to introduce new varieties of seeds to the farmers and helps in increasing the seed replacement rate. The mini kits are being provided by the National Seeds Corporation (NCS), NAFED and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation and wholly funded by the Union through the National Food Security Mission.

Notes:
The UN Sustainable Transport Conference is to be held from 14 to 16 October 2021 in Beijing, China. The Conference aims to encourage sustainable transport to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement on climate change.
To acknowledge the longevity, versatility and environmental sustainability of bicycles, the UN General Assembly declared 3 June as World Bicycle Day.