Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

Notes:
The Ministry of Tourism has formulated a Draft National Strategy and Roadmap for Development of Rural Tourism in India – An initiative towards Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Ministry has also invited feedback from all the State Governments/UT Administrations regarding the policy. The strategy focusses on new ideas like Digital technologies, Developing clusters among others. It has also identified Rural Circuit as one of the thematic circuits under Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

Notes:
China has launched a high-speed train that works on magnetic levitation (maglev), which is designed to achieve a top speed of 600 kmph. This is stated to be the world’s fastest ground vehicle.
This project was launched by China in the year 2016 and the prototype was made ready in the year 2019. The model was tested in 2020 and now it is made operational.

Notes:
Russia has delivered the commercial offer for delivery of 21 MiG-29 fighters to India, which would be commissioned to the Indian Air Force.
The decision to procure 21 MiG-29 fighters from Russia was made by India’s council for defense purchases in the year 2020. Presently, Indian Airforce has three squadrons of the MiG-29s, which are operational.

Notes:
Taipei is the capital city of Taiwan and has New Taiwan dollar as its official currency. The Government of Taiwan has proposed to establish its first office in Lithuania, a European Nation, using its own name “Taiwan”.
All the other diplomatic outposts are operational under the name “Taipei”. This move is set to have angered China and has been welcomed by the USA.

Notes:
World’s first 3D-printed steel bridge was opened to the public in Amsterdam recently. It was developed by MX3D, a Dutch robotics company, in collaboration with a team of experts.
The bridge was unveiled by Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. The bridge was developed for four years and was installed over one of the oldest canals in Amsterdam’s city centre – the Oudezijds Achterburgwal. This bridge represents a major milestone for 3D-printing technology.

Notes:
WHO launched its first Regional Status Report on Drowning Prevention in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific regions.
As per the report, nearly two-thirds of global drowning deaths occur in the Asia Pacific. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, at 7 per cent of all injury-related deaths. Low and middle-income countries account for more than 90 per cent of unintentional drowning deaths.

Notes:
The Government of India has proposed to establish 42 virology research and diagnostic laboratories across the country, at a total cost of Rs324 crore. These would be established during the 15th Finance Commission period of 2021-22 to 2025-26.
These would be established through a scheme under the Department of Health Research (DHR), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

Notes:
According to the third annual report on periodic labour force survey (PLFS), conducted by the National Statistical Office (NSO) between July 2019-June 2020, the unemployment rate fell to 4.8% in 2019-20.
The unemployment rate in 2018-19 was 5.8% and in 2017-18 was 6.1%. Labour indicators recorded an increase in 2019-20, as compared to previous years.

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 Union Government has proposed to set up a National Research Foundation (NRF) to strengthen the research ecosystem in the country.
NRF would be an umbrella structure that will link Research and Development, academia and industry. The total proposed outlay of NRF is 50 thousand crore rupees over a period of five years. It will mainly focus to facilitate research at academic institutions like universities and colleges.