Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

Notes:
Pune-based Serum Institute of India will produce the Russian Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V in India. From September.
The Russian RDIF (Russian Direct Investment Fund) announced that SII has already received cell and vector samples. As their import approved by the Drug Controller General of India, the cultivation process has started.

Notes:
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation meeting was recently held in the city of Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan.
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the meeting, representing India. He urged the SCO to stop terror financing. Foreign Ministers of Russia, China and Pakistan also attended the meeting. Situation in Afghanistan as well as public health and economic recovery were discussed.

Notes:
Union Minister Piyush Goyal was appointed as the Leader of the House in the Rajya Sabha, filling the vacancy created by Thaawarchand Gehlot, who is now the Governor of Karnataka.
Piyush Goyal, who is a Rajya Sabha member from Maharashtra, is in charge of several Ministries including Commerce and industry, Consumer affairs, food and public distribution, and Textiles. The Leader will play a key role in ensuring the smooth functioning of the House and better coordination with all parties.

Notes:
NTPC Renewable Energy (NTPC REL) has inked a pact with the Union Territory of Ladakh to set up a ‘Green hydrogen mobility project’ in the region.
Leh would be the first city in the country to implement a green hydrogen-based mobility project, once completed. NTPC is set to ply 5 hydrogen buses and to set up a solar plant and a green hydrogen generation unit in Leh. NTPC’s first solar installations in Leh in form of solar trees and a solar car port were also inaugurated.

Notes:
Bastille Day, also known as the National day of France is grandly celebrated on 14 July every year. The day is celebrated with fireworks and parades, across the country.
The National day is celebrated in remembrance of the fall of Bastille on July 14, 1789. It was on the same day when an angry crowd stormed and captured the military fortress and prison (Bastille) where political prisoners were held captive.

Notes:
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) announced that ₹9,800 crore would be spent on livestock development over the next five years.
It also said that all schemes of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying will be merged into three broad categories. The first will include the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the second one includes the Livestock Health and Disease Control scheme and the National Animal Disease Control Programme and the third will merge the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund and the Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund, Cooperatives and FPOs.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru, along with Mynvax has developed a heat-tolerant COVID-19 vaccine formulation, which has been proven effective against all current SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, according to a study in animals.
The formulation also protected hamsters from the virus and remained stable at 37 degrees Celsius up to a month, and at 100 degrees Celsius for up to 90 minutes. Covishield must be kept between 2-8 degrees Celsius while the Pfizer requires specialised cold storage at (-)70 degrees Celsius.

Notes:
As per Twitter, Indian Government made the largest number of requests for account information during the July-December 2020 period.
Also, it is reported that India is the second in terms of volume of legal demands for content removal, after Japan. These details were shared by Twitter in its bi annual transparency report.

Notes:
Social Network major-WhatsApp has stated that it has banned 2 million Indian accounts during May 15 and June 15 period. These bans were intended to prevent harmful behavior and spam.
Indian accounts are identified by using the code +91 and 95% of such bans are due to the unauthorised use.

Notes:
Pakistan and Russia have signed an agreement for construction of a 1,100-km gas pipeline from Port Qasim in Karachi to Lahore. This project is commonly named as North-South Gas project and is also called the Pakstream Gas Pipeline Project.
A special purpose vehicle has been formed between Pakistan and Russia, with a shareholding of 74:26 per cent.