Current Affairs Quiz - April 2022

Notes:
President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Amsterdam, as a part of the first presidential trip to the Netherlands after 34 years, since the visit of President Venkataraman in 1988
President Kovind visited Keukenhof, one of the world’s largest flower gardens. He named a new breed of yellow tulips as ‘Maitri’ representing the special and enduring friendship between India and the Netherlands.

Notes:
According to a study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), the frequency and intensity of forest fires have increased in the past two decades.
The study, ‘Managing Forest Fires in a Changing Climate’, found that there has been a ten-fold increase in forest fires in the past two decades. More than 62 per cent of Indian states are prone to high-intensity forest fires. Mizoram had the highest number of forest fires in the last two decades, with more than 95 per cent of its districts being forest fire hotspots.

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) flight-tested the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) booster at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.
SFDR-based propulsion enables the missile to intercept aerial threats at very long range, even at supersonic speeds. The SFDR has been developed by Defence Research and Development Laboratory, Hyderabad in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories.

Notes:
Dipika Pallikal teamed up with Saurav Ghosal, in her first competitive event since October 2018 and clinched the mixed doubles title with win over England’s Adrian Waller and Alison Waters.
Dipika and Joshna Chinappa won in the women’s doubles final, against England’s Sarah Jane Perry and Waters. Dipika achieved this feat less than six months after giving birth to twins.

Notes:
According to the Orbital Debris Quarterly News, published by a NASA Office, there are 25,182 pieces of space debris (of sizes larger than 10 cm) in the lower earth orbits (within 2,000 km of earth’s surface).
Out of these, the debris from Indian space assets is only 114, the lowest among major space-faring nations and around the same level as in 2018. India has 103 active and defunct spacecraft that are also in orbit, against the USA, China and Russia which have the largest number of active or defunct satellites, as well as space debris, at several thousands.

Notes:
Ministry of Home Affairs introduced the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Bill, 2022’. It was passed by both Houses of Parliament recently.
The bill was being brought as the ‘Identification of Prisoners Act, 1920’ became obsolete. The government turned down demands that the Bill should be referred to a Standing Committee for consideration.

Notes:
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been appointed as coordinator for the G20 summit, which will be hosted by India in 2023.
Shringla, who retires on April 30, will take charge of his new role as G20 coordinator, while Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will remain the G20 Sherpa. ‘Coordinator’ is a newly created position for organising the summit, which will include both substantive aspects as well as logistics.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be preented with the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award at the 80th annual Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Awards ceremony.
The award was instituted in the memory and honour of singer Lata Mangeshkar who passed away at the age of 92 years. The award will be given every year to an individual who has made exemplary contributions to our nation, its people and our society.

Notes:
The World Bank defines’ learning poverty’ as a child’s inability to read a simple text by 10. World Bank’s Global Director of Education Jaime Saavedra said that the learning poverty rate rose from 54% to 70%, during the pandemic.
The World Bank also highlighted that Learning Poverty is mainly found in developing countries, including India. Over 260 million children do not go to school across the world.

Notes:
The Food Corporation of India (FCI) has an agreement signed with every State for the procurement of raw rice.
Recently, the Telangana government has been the Centre procure paddy from the State at the minimum support price (MSP) to aid farmers as well as parboiled rice. Telangana, a decentralised procurement state (DCP), should supply raw rice to the central pool, as per FCI.