Current Affairs Quiz - July 2022

Notes:
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has approved the appointment of Ashishkumar Chauhan as the next Managing Director and CEO of the National Stock Exchange (NSE).
Chauhan is currently the MD and CEO of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and his tenure will end in November 2022. Ashishkumar is one of the founders of the NSE and he worked in the NSE from 1992 to 2000.

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:
NHPC has recently signed two agreements to develop green hydrogen technology in Leh, Kargil districts.
As per the agreement signed for Leh district, NHPC will develop a Pilot Green Hydrogen fuel cell-based Microgrid, including hydrogen production, to meet its power requirement. The hydrogen generated in Kargil will be used in fuel cells, to run buses in the local area.

Notes:
The Karakoram is a mountain range in Kashmir spanning the borders of Pakistan, China, and India. The glaciers in the central Karakoram have remained the same or even slightly risen during the past few decades, in contrary with the global trend of glaciers losing mass.
Researchers have made progress in finding why a few areas of glaciers in the Karakoram Range are and resisting glacial melt caused by climate change. They have linked the resurgence of western disturbances (WDs) to the phenomenon known as the Karakoram Anomaly.

Notes:
Karnataka has been ranked first in the NITI Aayog’s India Innovation Index (2021) for third third time in a row. The first edition was released in October 2019 and second in January 2021.
The India Innovation Index ranks states and union territories on the basis of innovation capabilities. Telangana, Haryana and Maharashtra stood second, third and fourth in the list of top states. Manipur topped the ‘North East and Hill States’ section and Chandigarh won the ‘Union Territory and City States’ category.

Notes:
The Government has prohibited import of human embryos in line with the Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act, 2021 and The Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.
This was announced by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Earlier, imports were prohibited except for research purposes based on the guidelines of the Department of Health Research. Surrogacy is a practice where a woman gives birth to a child for an intending couple with the intention to hand over the child after the birth to the couple.

Notes:
‘World Brain Day (WBD) 2022’ is marked every year on July 22, to increase public awareness and promote advocacy related to brain health.
This year, the World Brain Day is dedicated to the theme “Brain Health for all”. WBD 2022 campaign will focus on five key messages globally: Awareness, Prevention, Advocacy, Education and Access.

Notes:
Maharashtra’s Jawaharlal Nehru Port has become the first 100 per cent Landlord Major Port of India with all berths being operated on PPP model.
JNP is one of the leading container ports of the country and is ranked 26th among the top 100 global ports. The terminal will also handle Ro-Ro vessels which will not only lower the logistics cost and reduce transit time but will also contribute in reducing congestion on roads.

Notes:
As per a recent government data, Tamil Nadu tops the list of states so far as utilisation of funds under Smart City Mission.
Tamil Nadu has spent over Rs 3932 crore out of the Rs 4333 crore released by the Centre, Uttar Pradesh is at second position with utilisation of Rs 2699 cr out of the release of Rs 3142 crore. Ther Smart Cities Mission (SCM) was launched on 25 June, 2015.

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).