Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

Notes:
NASA recently announced that its new spacecraft, named NEA Scout (Near-Earth Asteroid Scout) has completed all required tests and has been safely tucked inside the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket.
NEA Scout is one of several payloads that will ride on Artemis I, which is expected to be launched in November. Artemis I will be an uncrewed test-flight of the Orion spacecraft and SLS rocket. Under the Artemis programme, NASA has aimed to land the first woman on the Moon in 2024.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Forest Department is to develop a standard operating procedure for the capture and release of wild elephants based on science and best practices.
As per the state officials, the process of kraaling and training an adult into captivity could be generally tortuous and scientifically not well-established. Kraaling involves capture of the animals by closing them in a stockade (kraal). The Asian elephant species in Tamil Nadu is declining to an alarming level, and so they propose the wild elephants should be sent back to the breeding population.

Notes:
A 53-year-old veterinarian in China is the first known human case of an extremely rare viral infection known to infect monkeys, called monkey B virus.
The virus most commonly infects macaque monkeys, and it is rarely seen in humans. There have been just 50 human cases of the virus reported since it was discovered in 1932, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Monkey B virus belongs to a family of viruses called herpesviruses while Monkeypox virus belongs to a family of viruses called orthopoxviruses

Notes:
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a high-strength beta titanium alloy. This has been developed indigenously for manufacture of intricate aerospace components like slat/flap tracks, landing gear.
Key features of the alloy are good forgeability and high strength-to-weight ratio, which would provide excellent weight reduction.

Notes:
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is an intergovernmental cooperation among 6 nations namely – India, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam. It was established in the year 2000 to boost diplomatic cooperation among these countries.
Recently, the 11th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting was organized, and India was represented by the External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the establishment of a central university in Ladakh, at a cost of Rs 750 crore.
The jurisdiction of this university will cover the regions of Leh and Kargil. The Education Ministry is expected to bring two amendments to the Central Universities Act, 2009 for this matter. The government has identified a location near village Khaltsi, which is located between Leh and Kargil.

Notes:
Essential Defence Services Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha recently. The Bill empowers the government to declare services mentioned in it as essential defence services.
The Essential Defence Services Bill is aimed at preventing the staff of the government-owned ordnance factories from going on a strike. Around 70,000 people are working at 41 ordnance factories located around the country.

Notes:
As of February 2026, India’s foreign exchange reserves totaled USD 717.064 billion. Foreign currency assets comprised USD 570.053 billion, making it the largest component. Gold reserves accounted for USD 123.476 billion. Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) were USD 18.821 billion, while the reserve position with the IMF stood at USD 4.715 billion. FCAs are held in major international currencies.

Notes:
The remains of a collapsed underwater volcano, resembling “Eye of Sauron” from the fantasy series “The Lord of the Rings,” have been discovered in the Indian Ocean.
Two other seafloor structures named after places in Tolkien’s Middle-earth were also identified. The eye is actually an oval-shaped depression measuring 6.2 kilometers long by 4.8 km wide. Called as a ‘Caldera’, this giant structure is left over from the ancient collapse of a deep-sea volcano. It is located 280 km southeast of Christmas Island, an Australian external territory, at a depth of 10,170 feet.

Notes:
Multiple sclerosis (MS), is a neurological disease whose effects range from cognitive impairment to significant physical disability.
World Brain Day is dedicated to raise awareness related to brain health. It is celebrated on July 22. This year, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) together with partner agencies are leading the campaign to spread awareness about the Multiple sclerosis (MS).