Current Affairs Quiz - April 2022

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced India is set to launch the AYUSH mark to recognize traditional medicine products which will give the authenticity to quality AYUSH products of the country.
The Prime Minister also said that India will start the AYUSH visa category for those who come to the country seeking traditional ways of treatment. He was speaking after the inauguration of the three-day Global AYUSH Investment and Innovation Summit.

Notes:
Oxitec, a UK-based biotech firm initially founded at Oxford University, released genetically modified mosquitoes in an effort to curb wild mosquito populations.
Oxitec had already tested the genetically modified mosquitoes in the field in Brazil, Panama, the Cayman Islands and Malaysia, but this was the first open-air trial of genetically modified mosquitoes in the United States.

Notes:
The founder of educational charity ‘Bidyanando’, Kishore Kumar Das from Bangladesh has been chosen for the Commonwealth Points of Light Award, which recognises outstanding individual volunteers.
He has been selected for his exceptional work in improving access to education for children from marginalised backgrounds, said the British High Commission. Kishore Das setup Bidyanando in 2013, which runs five primary schools which provide free education and meal programme for vulnerable.

Notes:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released ‘Space Equity action plan’ to make space more accessible. It aims to provide opportunity in underserved and underrepresented communities in the federal government.
In 2021, NASA spent USD 19.6 billion on goods and services, but only 10% of the total expenditure was provided to small disadvantaged businesses.

Notes:
Ever since the Soviet Union conquered the Kuril Islands in 1945, the ownership has been challenged by Japan.
In the latest version of the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, which was published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Northern Territories are “islands over which Japan has sovereignty, but now are illegally occupied by Russia.”

Notes:
The ‘UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR)’ was created in 1999 to ensure the implementation of the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction. It is based at Geneva, Switzerland.
UNDRR released the Global Assessment Report (GAR 2022) ahead of the Global Assessment Report (GAR 2022). As per the report, the world will face around 560 disasters every year by 2030. This is five times higher than the previous three decades. The rise in the disaster frequency can be attributed to climate change and inadequate risk management.

Notes:
The city of Taj Mahal, Agra, has become the first city in the country to have vacuum-based sewers. If the trial in Agra becomes successful, the sewer will be used in Kochi Municipal Corporation.
As per Agra Smart City officials, the corporation has connected 240 such houses near the Taj Mahal with vacuum-based sewer where conventional sewer systems cannot be used. The system will automatically issue an alert if there is a choke or any other issue.

Notes:
Russia announced that it has decided to withdraw from the Spain-based United Nations World Tourism Organisation ahead of the scheduled vote on their suspension.
Despite the withdrawal, UNWTO made it clear that they will go ahead with the suspension, due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The process of excluding Russia from the body will take around a year to finish.

Notes:
The United States Trade Representative releases the “Special 301 Report” on effectiveness of US trading partners’ protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The recent report has placed India, China, Russia and four other countries namely Argentina, Chile, Indonesia and Venezuela on its annual Priority Watch List. All seven countries on this year’s list were also on the last year’s list. Twenty trading partners are on the Watch List.

Notes:
India recently commemorated the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.  India and Japan had established their diplomatic relations on April 28, 1952.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida recently visited India for two days for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit with PM Modi. The two countries also launched several new initiatives including development of India’s northeast, bamboo cultivation and processing, among others.