Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
Ambergris, or grey amber, is a solid waxy substance of grey colour produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.
Also called as whale vomit or floating gold, it is highly demanded in the international market. Over 9 kg of Ambergris was seized by the Mumbai Police over the past 15 days. It is used to create fragrances like musk and in some traditional medicines.

Notes:
World Drug Report 2021 has been released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The report states that 275 million people used drugs worldwide in the year 2020 and that 36 million people suffered from drug use disorders.
The report further reveals that, in the last 24 years, the cannabis potency has increased by about 4 times and the percent of adolescents who perceive drugs as harmful fell by as much as 40%.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment implements the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA).
Union Social Justice Minister recently launched the website for the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA). Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is the nodal ministry for Drug Demand Reduction in India.

Notes:
The Andhra Pradesh Government has issued a formal order to dispense with the process of interviews for all future recruitments into government service.
The new system calls for only written examinations would be conducted for all categories of posts, including Group-1 services. It aims to maintain transparency and ensure trust of the competing candidates in the selection process.

Notes:
Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the Global Watchdog dog for money laundering and terror financing.
When the FATF places a country in grey list, it means the country is subject to increased monitoring. Recently, it added Malta, Haiti, the Philippines and South Sudan to its grey list of countries and kept Pakistan on the list. It removed Ghana from the list after the country showed progress.

Notes:
The e-filing portal of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT), named ‘itat e-dwar’, was launched recently.
This newly developed e-Filing Portal would enable the parties to file their Appeals, Miscellaneous Applications, documents, paper books, etc., electronically. This portal will enhance the accessibility and transparency in the working of the ITAT.

Notes:
El Salvador recently announced that the country is planning to give out starter cryptocurrency accounts with $30 to promote its use. It was the first country to make bitcoin, a legal tender.
The government will allocate $120 million to establish 4 million starter Bitcoin accounts, or wallets named as ‘Chivo’. When the law takes effect in September, accepting Bitcoin will not be mandatory rather it will be optional, as per the Government.

Notes:
Indian Government is implementing BharatNet in PPP model in 16 States, which aims to provide broadband internet to all villages. Out of 2,50,000-gram panchayats, 1,56,223-gram panchayats have been made service ready by 31 May, 2021
Recently, the Finance Ministry announced an additional sum of Rs 19,041 crore to expand the reach of broadband internet to all remaining villages under the BharatNet PPP model.

Notes:
Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, but the peninsula is internationally recognised as a part of Ukraine. Ukraine and the United States have launched a military exercise Sea Breeze 2021.
It involves more than 30 countries in the Black Sea and southern Ukraine. Russia’s embassy in Washington called for the latest exercises to be cancelled.

Notes:
Rahi Sarnobat clinched the 25m pistol gold medal at the shooting World Cup, being held in Osijek, Croatia. It is India’s first gold at the tournament.
The player’s tally of 39 was just one short of the world record set by Hungary’s Veronica Major at the 2019 World Cup in New Delhi. Rahi Sarnobat also won the Arjuna Award for Shooting.