Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2021

Notes:
The National Assembly of France has recently approved the creation of an “ecocide” offence, which seeks to punish acts of environmental damage.
The bill will be applied to the most serious cases of environmental damage at national level, such as the pollution of a river. An offence of endangering the environment is punishable on the lines of endangering life.

Notes:
Google celebrated the 151st birthday of Dr. Vera Gedroits, a Russian surgeon, professor, poet, and author.
She is also regarded as the country’s first female military surgeon and one of the world’s first female professors of surgery. Dr. Gedroits volunteered as a surgeon during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

Notes:
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Government of India and GIZ GmbH India on behalf of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety signed an agreement on Technical Cooperation titled ‘Cities Combating Plastic Entering the Marine Environment’.
The project’s outcomes are completely in line with the objectives of Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban focusing on sustainable solid waste management and the target to phase out single use plastic by 2022”.

Notes:
The liver is the second largest and the most complex organ in the body, with the exception of the brain.
World liver day is observed on every 19 April, to spread awareness about liver related disorders and diseases. The theme for this year is ‘Keep your liver healthy and disease-free.’

Notes:
World Press Freedom Index 2021 is published by the international journalism not-for profit body, Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
India is ranked 142, same as last year among the 180 countries and the index is topped by Norway followed by Finland and Denmark. India is regarded among the countries classified “bad” for journalism and is termed as one of the most dangerous countries for journalists trying to do their jobs properly.

Notes:
The United Kingdom is exploring the possibility of creating a new digital currency, which is dubbed as “Britcoin”.
The Bank of England and the Treasury are set to work together to assess the benefits of a central bank digital currency. The bank said the new currency, would be a new form of digital money for use by households and businesses.

Notes:
The Amnesty International has released its annual report “global review of the death penalty”. As per the report, there is an overall decrease in the number of global death penalties in the year 2020, but some countries have increased the death penalty of executions.
As per the report, China is considered to be the world’s most prolific executioner in the world.

Notes:
The High Commissioner of Australia to India has launched the Australia-India Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative Partnership (AIIPOIP) grant program.
This AUD 1.4 million (INR 8.12 crore) grant program aims to support a free, open Indo-Pacific region The programme would encourage exchange of expertise and resources between Australian and Indian stakeholders that complements regional mechanisms such as ASEAN, the Indian Ocean Rim Association, Pacific Islands Forum etc.

Notes:
The Russian Space Agency – Roscosmos is set for building its own space station and aims to launch the same by the year 2030.
This project is expected to end Russia’s cooperation with the United States of America for more than 2 decades aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Notes:
The American Space Agency – NASA has recently launched a mission named – SHIELDS (Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Emission Line Dynamics Spectrometer).
This mission aims to study light from interstellar particles which have drifted into the solar system to learn about the closest reaches of interstellar space. The mission was launched using a NASA black Brant IX sounding rocket from Mexico.