Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

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:
New Zealand has entered into an agreement for space exploration with NASA.
With this, New Zealand becomes the eleventh country to sign the Artemis Accord, which is an agreement with NASA to be a part of its plans to send humans to the moon by 2024 and further to Mars.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal to notify the Second Positive Indigenisation List of 108 items.
With this, all the 108 items will be procured from indigenous sources, as per provisions given in Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. The Second list, which comprises of complex systems and weapons, is to be implemented progressively with effect from December this year to December 2025.

Notes:
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) Insurance Scheme for Health Workers Fighting COVID-19’ was launched to provide personal accident cover of Rs. 50 lakh to all healthcare providers.
Recently, a new system for approval of claims has been introduced. The District Collector will certify that the claim is in accordance with SoP of the Scheme and on the basis of this certificate, Insurance Company will approve and settle the claims within a period of 48 hours.

Notes:
Mahesh Jethmalani, who is a noted advocate has been recently nominated by the Union Government to the Rajya Sabha. Additionally, former journalist Swapan Dasgupta has also been nominated to the upper house.
Mahesh Jethmalani has been nominated to Rajya Sabha to fill the vacancy of seat due to the demise of Raghunath Mohapatra.

Notes:
President Joe Biden’s administration of the USA has formally ended the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which denies asylum seekers entry into the USA.
Under the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), which was brought into force in 2019, individuals who arrived at the Southwest Border of the USA were returned to Mexico to await removal proceedings in US courts.

Notes:
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) of Canada has recommended mixing and matching of the second doses of covid 19 vaccines.
This means that people who reside in Canada and have taken the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine as their first shot, can take either of the vaccines as a second shot, based on their availability.

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:
The Government of Denmark has approved for construction of an artificial giant island named Lynetteholm. This island would be 1 sq mile (2.6 sq km) in area and would include a dam system around its perimeter to protect its harbour from rising sea levels and storms.
This island would be connected to the mainland by way of tunnel roads and metro lines.

Notes:
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an intergovernmental organization comprising seven nations of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is headquartered in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
This organization was first established in the year 1997. The 24th BIMSTEC day was celebrated on June 6th 2021