Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
The Chandra X-ray Observatory, previously known as the Advanced X-ray Astrophysics Facility, was launched by NASA, aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.
Recently, an image from this observatory was released by NASA. It shows threads of superheated gas and magnetic fields weaving around each other, at the center of our Mily Way Galaxy. These new observations stretch above and below our galaxy’s plane, where most of the stars are found.

Notes:
Offshore patrol vessel ICG Sajag has been commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard, by the National Security Advisor to India (NSA) Ajit Doval. The ship was commissioned by NSA virtually.
This vessel is constructed by the Goa Shipyard Limited exclusively for the Coast Guard. At present, the Indian Coast Guard has 160 ships and 62 aircraft in its fleet.

Notes:
NASA’s Curiosity rover captured the images of the clouds seen above Gale Crater of the Mars. The crater is 154 km in diameter and estimated to be about 3.5-3.8 billion years old.
The image is a combination of 21 individual photographs the rover took recently to study a strange type of cloud over the Gale Crater. The Scientists made the rover watch for the early clouds, as it was observed that the cloud type was forming earlier in the Martian year.

Notes:
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its growth projection for India for FY22 to 9.9 per cent from 12.6 per cent estimated in March.
OECD also estimated the Global GDP growth at 5.8 per cent this year, compared with 4.2 per cent projected in December. It also changed its projections to 4.4 per cent in 2022, compared to 3.7 per cent, estimated in December.

Notes:
The State Government of Goa has constituted a Think Tank named Goa Institution For Future Transformation (GIFT).
This institution would assist, advise and guide the state government on various policy matters and welfare decisions. The functions of GIFT would be very similar to that of NITI Aayog.

Notes:
Pakistan has recently launched its homemade Covid-19 vaccine named “PakVac” which it developed with the help of its ally China.
According to the Ministry of National Health Services of Pakistan, 1,771 new cases were reported in the last 24 hours, with the tally of confirmed cases at 922,824. It has vaccinated over 5.3 million people with about 2 million fully vaccinated.

Notes:
International Nitrogen Initiative (INI) is being hosted by the Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt–UBA).
The United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the main focus of the eighth triennial conference of the International Nitrogen Initiative (INI). It is being held virtually from May 31-June 3, 2021.

Notes:
Leadership Group for Industry Transition, LeadIT, is an Indian-Swedish climate change initiative. It will help the countries to take the lead in heavy industry transition as well as meet Paris Agreement goals and create new sustainable jobs,
Recently, the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres commended India and Sweden for their climate change initiative. He announced this during the Clean Energy Ministerial hosted by Chile.

Notes:
Kerala retained the top spot in the Niti Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Index released in the year 2021. India’s overall score across SDGs improved by six points, from 60 in 2019 to 66 in 2021
The annual index evaluates the progress of states and UTs on social, economic and environmental criteria. Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu grabbed the second and third spots respectively while Bihar is placed at the last place in the index.

Notes:
David Diop has become the first French writer to win the International Booker Prize, as he was selected for the prestigious award in 2021.
His second novel, At Night All Blood is Black, was translated by the US author and poet Anna Moschovakis. The book was inspired by his Senegalese great-grandfather’s silence about his experiences in First World War.