Current Affairs Quiz - July 2022

Notes:
Young Indian Grandmaster R Praggnanandhaa has won the Paracin Open ‘A’ chess tournament 2022 in Serbia.
The 16-year-old remained unbeaten and scored 8 points from nine rounds. He will be part of a strong India ‘B’ team in the 44th Chess Olympiad to be held in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
‘Nelson Mandela Day’ is observed on July 18 every year. The United Nations (UN) had declared July 18 as Nelson Mandela Day to honour the leader in 2009.
Nelson Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first President from 1994 to 1999.  He was the first black head of state and the first elected President in a fully democratic election in South Africa.

Notes:
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has clarified that large packages of food items like pulses, cereals, rice, and wheat weighing more than 25 kilograms or 25 litres of commodity will not attract the 5% goods and services tax (GST).
For levying 5% GST on items like pulses, cereals, rice and flour, they have to be pre-packaged without the presence of the buyer, and are required to bear the declarations under the provisions of the Legal Metrology Act of 2009.

Notes:
Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi recently resigned after a collapse in support among his coalition backers,
President Sergio Mattarella called for an election for a new parliament in September. Mario Draghi was a former president of the European Central Bank. The country has been fighting inflation surge and an economic slowdown.

Notes:
The running and maintenance of ships of the Union Territory (UT) of Lakshadweep have been handed over to the Shipping Corporation of India to improve shipping operations.
The administration of the Union Territory (UT) announced that out of the five ships in service for the people of Lakshadweep and connecting between islands and Kochi, two are undergoing repairs.

Notes:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched ‘Swanirbhar Naari’, an initiative of the Handloom and Textiles Department.
The scheme aims to empower the indigenous weavers of the State and to provide financial support to their families. Under the scheme, the government has decided to procure handloom items directly from the indigenous weavers without involving any middle men through Swanirbhar Naari web portal.

Notes:
The United States has reported its first case of polio in nearly a decade after a patient had tested positive for the disease in the state of New York.
As per studies, the case of the highly contagious polio virus may have originated outside of the US. Healthcare providers are asked to be on alert for more cases and people in the area are asked to get vaccinated.

Notes:
‘PM SVANidhi’ scheme was launched on 1 June 2020, to provide financial support to Street vendors. As of july, Rs. 3,661 crores had been provided as micro-credits to more than 30 lakh street vendors.
The Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri addressed the meeting of National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), which was held on the theme of ‘From Encroachers to Self-Employed’.

Notes:
Union Minister for Science & Technology Dr Jitendra Singh released the ‘India’s Bioeconomy Report 2022’ recently. India’s Bio-economy has reached over USD 80 billion in 2021 with 14.1% growth over 2020. It is likely to touch 150 billion dollars by 2025 and over 300 billion dollars by 2030.
Dr Jitendra Singh also launched Special ‘Biotech Ignition Grant call for North East Region’ (BIG-NER) with a financial support of Rs 50 Lakhs each to 25 start-ups and entrepreneurs from North East Region to develop biotech solutions.

Notes:
The Anti-Maritime Piracy Bill, 2019 has been listed for consideration and passing. It is associated with the Ministry of External Affairs.
After it is enacted, the bill will bring the ‘UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’ (UNCLOS) into domestic law and enable Indian authorities to take action against piracy on the high seas. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in December 2019, and the Standing Committee on External Affairs presented its report in February 2021.