Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2023

Notes:
Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy passes away at the age of 79. He served as the Chief Minister from 2004 to 2006 and 2011 to 2016.
Chandy became active in politics through the Kerala Students Union (KSU) and the Youth Congress.  At the age of 27, Oommen Chandy won the Kerala legislative assembly seat from his constituency, Puthupally. He has also served as Home Minister, Finance Minister and Labour Minister.

Notes:
Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Secretary Swapnil Naik launched the Yuva Tourism Club in an event organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Arunachal Pradesh State Tourism Department.
The Yuva Tourism Club is an initiative by the Ministry of Tourism, to nurture and develop young ambassadors of tourism. It aims at making these young ambassadors to be a catalyst for promoting tourism in India.

Notes:
An agreement has been reached between the Ministry of Culture and the Indian Navy to restore the traditional “Tankai method” of shipbuilding.
The complete project will be supervised and carried out by the Indian Navy. This initiative aims to revive and preserve the 2,000-year-old technique of shipbuilding known as the ‘stitched shipbuilding method’.

Notes:
The Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (JNTBGRI) in Palode is currently witnessing the blooming of Grammatophyllum speciosum, commonly known as the ‘Tiger Orchid.’ This orchid species, originating from South East Asia, is the largest in the world.

Notes:
Recently, the Karnataka Legislative Assembly approved the Karnataka SC/ST (prevention of transfer of certain lands) (Amendment) Bill.
It aims to clarify the “time limitation” issue related to preventing the transfer of lands allocated to SC/ST communities. The beneficiaries are not subject to any time limitation when approaching courts to seek the restoration of lands allocated to them.

Notes:
The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), the government-backed e-commerce protocol, launched a repository of online training material for merchants called the ONDC Academy.
ONDC, which was funded initially by banks, has been conceived as a counterweight against large e-retail, quick commerce and ride-hailing firms. The repository is stored on an ONDC website as well as on YouTube, with assistance from the National Stock Exchange.

Notes:
Tele MANAS helpline, the toll-free digital arm of the Centre’s District Mental Health Programme, has received over 200,000 calls since its launch in October 2022.
The helpline available in 20 languages. Sadness, sleeplessness, stress, and anxiety top mental health concerns that were shared on Tele MANAS.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead the inauguration of ‘Semicon India 2023’, exhibition highlighting India’s semiconductor capabilities and chip design innovation, taking place in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
The event will witness the participation of prominent companies such as Foxconn, Micron, AMD, IBM, Marvell, Vedanta, LAM Research, NXP Semiconductors, and STMicroelectronics, showcasing India’s significant progress in nurturing a global semiconductor manufacturing and design ecosystem.

Notes:
Recently, live-fire drills featuring the American-made HIMARS missile system were conducted at the Shoalwater Bay military complex in Queensland, Australia, showcasing its recent acquisition by the Australian Defence Force.
The drills are part of the biennial Talisman Sabre exercises, involving over 30,000 troops from various countries, including Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea.

Notes:
Companies in North America are rushing to recycle electric vehicle batteries due to a lesser-known provision in the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which aims to challenge China’s dominant position in this industry on a global scale.
The act’s clause automatically designates EV battery materials recycled in the U.S. as American-made for subsidies, making it beneficial for automakers using these materials in electric vehicle production to qualify for incentives.