Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

Notes:
The United States President’s “nuclear football” or the Presidential Emergency Satchel is said to contain the codes needed for a nuclear strike. One such briefcase nearly came within range of rioters storming the US Capitol on January 6, this year.
The Pentagon’s watchdog said that it would evaluate the safety protocols surrounding the issue and find if it were “lost, stolen or compromised.” Any nuclear strike order would be confirmed and processed only by the Military.

Notes:
The Hong Kong’s legislature has proposed legislation on tackling “doxxing behaviour”. This legislation, if implemented, is feared to have a huge impact on technology giants operating in the country.
It is also said that such legislation could be used by the people in power, targeting civil society.

Notes:
Government has permitted Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) up to 100 percent under the automatic route for renewable energy projects, including offshore wind energy projects.
Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R.K. Singh recently replied in Lok Sabha that Government notified the ‘National Offshore Wind Energy Policy’ in 2015, to provide basic framework for developing offshore wind sector. The Government also enabled private investors to carryout offshore wind resource assessment.

Notes:
A Parliamentary Standing Committee has approved the The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (Amendment) Bill, 2021, without any changes.
The Bill amends the term ‘major airport’ to include group of airports. It also increased the threshold of annual passenger traffic in a major airport to 35 lakh. Previously, an airport with annual traffic more than 15 lakh were called as major airports. AERA will regulate tariff and other charges for aeronautical services for major airports and also a group of airports.

Notes:
Trinamool Congress (TMC) member Santanu Sen was suspended from Rajya Sabha for the rest of the ongoing Monsoon Session for unruly behaviour, after he snatched papers from IT minister Ashwani Vaishnaw while he was reading a statement on Pegasus software.
The Government sought Sen’s suspension under Rule 256 (2). It says a lawmaker, who disregards the authority of the Chair or abuses the rules of the Council, through wilful disruptions can be suspended from the House, for up to the remainder of the parliamentary session, if the Rajya Sabha chairman deems it necessary.

Notes:
The Government of Kerala has removed the upper age limit of transgender students seeking admission in the state’s universities for higher education and in the state’s affiliated arts and science colleges. This move is intended to bring more transgender into formal higher education system.
The Kerala Government has stated that universities shall make necessary changes in their statutes, to give effect to this decision.

Notes:
The Joint Venture between Tata and Boeing – Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) has announced the delivery of 100th Apache Helicopter.
TABL fabricates the fuselage of the helicopter at its manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, which is then delivered to Boeing’s facility in the USA for further assembly. The JV was established as an equity partnership in the year 2015.

Notes:
Chinese scientists have launched plans for a first-of-its-kind nuclear reactor that does not need water for cooling. It is dubbed as the ‘World’s first Clean Nuclear Reactor’.
The molten-salt nuclear reactor, is set to run on liquid thorium rather than uranium. It is expected to be safer than traditional reactors as the molten salt cools and solidifies quickly when exposed to the air, insulating the thorium, so that any leak would cause lesser radiation.

Notes:
The first ever World Drowning Prevention Day (WDPD) is observed 25 July 2021, co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted the resolution on global drowning prevention on 28 April 2021. An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years.

Notes:
The UN General Assembly approved its first-ever resolution on vision. The “Vision for Everyone” resolution was sponsored by Bangladesh, Antigua, and Ireland, and co-sponsored by over 100 countries.
UNGA called on its 193 member nations to ensure access to eye care for everyone in their countries to help at least 1.1 billion people with vision impairment who currently lack eye services, by 2030. According to the resolution, at least 2 billion people are living with vision impairment or blindness.