Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
The Telangana government recently decided to adopt the Andhra Pradesh government’s flagship scheme, Nadu Nedu. The Telangana government has recently sought a “no objection certificate” from the Andhra Pradesh government over the Mana Badi Nadu Nedu. Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the ‘Nadu-Nedu’ programme which seeks to transform government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions.

Notes:
Paraceratherium is an extinct genus of hornless rhinoceros. It is one of the largest terrestrial mammals. The exact size of Paraceratherium is unknown because of the incompleteness of the fossils. It lived in habitats ranging from arid deserts with a few scattered trees to subtropical forests.

Notes:
Stygarctus keralensis was discovered in Kerala by a research team which consisted of Vishnudattan N.K., Jayachandran P.R., and S. Bijoy Nandan, professor, Department of Marine Biology, Microbiology and Biochemistry, Cochin University of Science and Technology. J.G. Hansen, University of Copenhagen. It is the eighth species named under the genus Stygarctus.

Notes:
A four-day summit by Progressive International for Covid-19 vaccine internationalism has recently begun. It aims to provide vaccines for all people across the world.
The summit will bring together governments, politicians, healthcare workers and vaccine manufacturers from over 20 countries. From India, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan with former health minister- KK Shailaja, representatives of ASHA workers and vaccine maker Virchow Laboratories are participating in the summit.

Notes:
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) has released the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction-Special Report on Drought 2021.
As per the assessment, Drought has directly affected 1.5 billion people so far this century, more than any other disaster. This increased number is due to climate change, environmental degradation and demographic shifts.

Notes:
The state Government of Tamil Nadu has proposed to set up an Economic advisory council, which would comprise of eminent economists like Nobel laureate Esther Duflo, former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan, Former Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian, development economist Jean Dreze and former Union Finance secretary S Narayan.

Notes:
Every year, the United Nations observe June 20th as the World Refugee Day, which aims to respect, understand and empathize with the refugees across the globe. The theme for this year is ‘Together we heal, learn and shine’.
According to the UN, “a refugee is the one who fled his or her home and country owing to a fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.”

Notes:
ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute (CTCRI) has found cassava (tapioca) as a promising raw material for bioethanol production.
As a biofuel crop, cassava has several advantages compared to sugarcane. Cassava has high starch content and ability to grow under low management conditions. This will help meet India’s Ethanol Blending Petrol (EBP) programme target of 2025.

Notes:
The Union ministry of power extended the waiver of Inter-state transmission system (ISTS) charges on transmission of electricity from solar and wind sources of projects to be commissioned upto 30th June, 2025.
The waiver also includes battery storage, pump hydro projects along with solar and wind. This is seen as a major relief to the renewable energy project developers.

Notes:
Odisha has recently witnessed the first natural nesting of gharials. With this, it has become the only state to have all the three species of the reptile: freshwater gharials, muggers, and saltwater crocodiles.
Gharials were first introduced in 1975 in Odisha. They are considered as the most critically endangered and genetically weak species, compared to saltwater crocodiles and muggers.