Current Affairs Quiz - July 2022

Notes:
The UK government announced 75 fully-funded scholarships for Indian students to study in the UK, beginning September 2022, in honour of India’s 75th anniversary of Independence.
The scholarships are being offered in association with top Indian companies. There are about 18 scholarships for women in STEM fields offered by the British Council in India. The UK government has sponsored the Chevening international honours programme since 1983, in which India is the largest participant.

Notes:
The NITI Aayog released its report titled ‘Harnessing Green Hydrogen — Opportunities for Deep Decarbonisation in India’.
It has recommended tax breaks like reduction or exemption of GST and custom duties on green hydrogen production. It has also proposed setting up green hydrogen corridors and offering grants to start-ups working on green hydrogen solutions.

Notes:
Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is a Government of India initiative that aims to build an open network for buyers and sellers to democratise the current e-commerce ecosystem in the country.
It has launched a ‘Grand Hackathon’ in collaboration with NABARD. The event is divided into two categories: Agri Grant Challenge and Agri Innovation Hackathon, to showcase the innovations to aid the adoption of e-commerce in the agricultural sector.

Notes:
Rahul Narwekar, a first-time MLA, was elected as the Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly defeating Shiv Sena candidate Rajan Salvi.
The 45-year old leader is the youngest speaker of India, as of now. Earlier Eknath Shinde took over as the new Chief Minister while Devendra Fadnavis took oath as the deputy chief minister of Maharashtra.

Notes:
Uganda has recently announced the discovery of 31 million metric tonnes of gold deposits in the country.
To boost the country’s economy, the Ugandan Government has licensed Wagagai Gold Mining Company, a Chinese firm to start producing gold products.

Notes:
SBI General Insurance has recently launched the Cyber VaultEdge insurance plan, which covers against financial losses arising from cyber risks and attacks.
Individuals exposed to any form of cyber risks can buy this policy for themselves and their family. Some of the inclusions of the policy includes theft of Funds, Identity Theft, Cyber Bullying, Cyber Stalking and Loss of Reputation, Cyber Shopping, Online shopping among others.

Notes:
World Kiswahili Day is celebrated on the 7th of July every year after a declaration by UNESCO member states in this regard.
Kiswahili is one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa and the most widely spoken in sub-Saharan Africa. Kiswahili is also the only African language which is an official language of the African Union.

Notes:
Ministry of Education (MoE) and University Grants Commission (UGC) have organised Akhil Bharatiya Shiksha Samagam (ABSS) in Varanasi.
Varanasi Declaration on Higher Education, an expected outcome of the ABSS will announce a timeline for the Higher Education Commission of India. Another component of the Declaration will be to ensure that research, innovation and entrepreneurship (RIE) becomes accessible to all Higher Education Institutions.

Notes:
The Polish government honoured the maharajas of Jamnagar and Kolhapur and others who sheltered Polish refugees fleeing the Soviet Union invasion of Poland during World War II.
The Indian government sent a delegation of former royals and representatives of Kolhapur and Jamnagar to Poland.

Notes:
Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Secretary General, Mohammad Barkindo, has passed away at the age of 63.
Nigeria’s Barkindo headed the Organization since 2016 and was scheduled to be replaced by Kuwait’s Haitham Al-Ghais next month. Under his leadership, the cartel tied up with 10 other oil-producing countries, such as Russia, to form a wider group known as OPEC+.