Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2021

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:
Bangladesh is set to create its own social media platform called ‘Jogajog’ as an alternative to Facebook, as per the country’s Ministry for Information and Communication Technology.
It is also set to create an app called ‘Alapon’ for WhatsApp. Through this Jogajog app, the entrepreneurs of the country will be able to create their own online marketplace. The ministry successfully created ‘Boithok’ app as an alternative to Zoom online and ‘Surokkha App’ for vaccine registration.

Notes:
India’s ace weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has clinched the silver medal in the 49kg category and has opened the country’s medal account at the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
She is the second India woman to bag a silver medal at the Olympics after PV Sindhu. Also, she became the first Indian woman weight lifter to win a silver at the Olympics.

Notes:
John Abraham, a veterinary-doctor-turned-inventor, has received the patents for inventing biodiesel from slaughtered chicken waste.
The biodiesel offers mileage of over 38 km per litre at around 40 per cent of the current price of diesel. It is also expected to lower the air pollution by half. The Indian Patent Office granted the patent for inventing ‘biodiesel produced from rendered chicken oil’.

Notes:
Spain’s iconic , landscape of arts and sciences- Paseo del Prado (Madrid) and Buen Retiro Park have been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
The addition of the sites was in recognition of Paseo, a wide tree-lined area, which home to prominent buildings such as the Prad o Museum and the adjoining Buen Retiro park, a 125-hectare green space.

Notes:
The Union Government has decided to set up a National Centre of Excellence for Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics. It will be set up in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
The Centre aims to create a world-class talent pool in India in the field of Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics. India has also entered into audio-visual co-production treaties with as many as 15 countries.

Notes:
Factoring is a financial transaction and a type of debtor finance in which a business sells its accounts receivable (invoices) to a third party (called a factor) at a discount.
The Lok Sabha recently passed the Factoring Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 202. The bill seeks to permit non-banking finance companies (NBFC) other than those whose principal business is factoring, to discount invoices on TReDS platform. This helps MSMEs to tackle the problem of delayed payments.

Notes:
The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence has approved a central sector scheme viz. Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX).
The budgetary support for the scheme is Rs. 498.80 crore for the next 5 years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The objective of the scheme is to provide financial support to around 300 Startups/ MSMEs/ innovators and about 20 Partner incubators through Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO). Grants under the grant mechanism of iDEX is provided by Support for Prototype and Research Kickstart (SPARK).

Notes:
Basavaraj S Bommai, a senior BJP Leader of Karnataka has been sworn in as the 23rd Chief Minister of the state. He is succeeding BS Yediyurappa who resigned from the post of CM recently. Earlier Bommai served as the home minister for the state in BS Yediyurappa’s government.
His name, for the post of CM of the state was proposed by BS Yediyurappa and seconded by all MLAs, in the legislature party meeting of BJP.

Notes:
Indo-Pacific Business forum is an event to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation between the United States and its partners throughout the Indo-Pacific region. The state department has announced that India and USA will virtually co-host the fourth annual Indo-Pacific Business forum in the month of October. The meeting will be joined by US Chamber of Commerce, the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC).
The meeting of 2021 will highlight opportunities for companies of USA and their Indo-Pacific partners to play a leading role in shaping the region’s economic development. This includes initiatives related to economic recovery and resilience, climate action and digital innovation.