Current Affairs Quiz - July 2022

Notes:
India and European Union (EU) recently attended the 10th round of ‘Human rights dialogue’ in New Delhi.
India and the European Union deliberated on the importance of safeguarding freedom, independence and diversity, including human rights defenders and journalists. Germany, a key member of the EU, had earlier criticised Indian authorities over fact-checker Mohammed Zubair’s arrest.

Notes:
The World Bank has approved a loan of USD one billion to provide support to India’s flagship PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM).
The loan includes two complementary loans of USD 500 million each namely for ‘Transforming India’s Public Health Systems for Pandemic Preparedness Program (PHSPP)’ and ‘India’s Enhanced Health Service Delivery Program (EHSDP)’.

Notes:
India and Maldives signed MoU for judicial cooperation to accelerate court digitization and boost prospects for IT companies & start-ups in both countries.
India was among the first countries to recognise the Maldives after its independence in 1965 and to establish diplomatic relations with the country. Maldives has a strategic importance in Geographic Location of the Maldives with respect to key International Shipping Lanes (ISLs).

Notes:
A partnership of 18 economies, including India, the US and the European Union (EU), unveiled a four-point roadmap for building long-term resilient supply chains.
A virtual supply chain ministerial meeting was hosted by US secretary of state Antony Blinken, as a follow-up to the supply chain summit convened by US President Joe Biden last October. The measures are aimed at reducing the dependence of the 17 partners on Chinese supply chains.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 96.3 million loan to fund safe drinking water and sanitation project in Himachal Pradesh.
The 770 crore loan has been provided under the Himachal Pradesh Rural Drinking Water Improvement and Livelihood Project. The project will connect 75,800 households to the service, providing uninterrupted water supply to about 370,000 residents across 10 districts.

Notes:
The Tokyo-based International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is the global forum of ports for industry collaboration and excellence.
IAPH has appointed Ennarasu Karunesan as its official representative in India. Ennarasu, an Indian Ports Advisor, has 33 years of leadership in the ports sector.

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.

Notes:
Sports Authority of India has started a new initiative to cheer for Indian contingent of the Commonwealth Games with the campaign ‘Create for India’.
A 215-member Indian athlete contingent across 16 disciplines is set to participate in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Participants were asked to submit entries using the hashtags #create4India and #cheer4India.

Notes:
California declared a state of emergency near Yosemite National Park as the Oak Fire burned homes. Over three thousand people were forced to evacuate.
The Oak Fire had burned around 17000 acres and is seen as the largest wildfire of 2022. The wildfire has spread faster due to the prevalent hot, dry weather and drought conditions.

Notes:
India’s biggest spectrum auction for 72 Gigahertz of 5G airwaves worth ₹4.3 lakh crore has commenced recently.
Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea and a unit of Gautam Adani’s Adani Enterprises are bidding for 5G spectrum. The auction is held for spectrum in various low (600 Mhz, 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz), mid (3300 MHz) and high (26 GHz) frequency bands.