Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2021

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi has developed a rapid antigen test kit for Covid which is priced at Rs 50.
The ICMR approved test kit can give results within five minutes. The technology behind the test has been patented by IIT Delhi. The identification used in the test is based on the monoclonal antibodies specific for the Coronavirus antigen.

Notes:
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that the state has not reported a single rabies case in the last three years.
This makes Goa the first rabies-free state in the country. The state has achieved over 5 lakh vaccinations against the rabies in dogs. It also has set up 24-hours rabies surveillance with an emergency hotline and rapid response team for dog bite victims.

Notes:
Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder, in which the body’s immune system attacks its own protective coatings on nerve fibres.
This syndrome was first reported in Europe and the UK among some patients who undertook AstraZeneca-Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, but such a probability is found to be small. The syndrome may start with extreme weakness that can eventually paralyse the entire body. The vaccine is traded as Covishield in India, which also reported some cases.

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:
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:
Every year, the United Nations observes 26th June as “International Day in Support of Victims of Torture”.
The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in its general assembly in the year 1948. In 1975, the UN adopted a Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Being Subjected to Torture and Other Cruel treatment.

Notes:
As per a recent report by Chainalysis, investments in cryptocurrency grew from about $200 million to nearly $40 billion in the year 2020.
The Reserve Bank of India, however expressed it has “major concerns” about the asset class. Six months ago, the Indian government proposed a ban on trading in digital coins.

Notes:
The Bengaluru Suburban Rail Project (BSRP) was first proposed in 1983. The state government announced that the project is set to commence soon. It will connect Bengaluru to its satellite townships, suburbs, and surrounding rural areas, by a rail-based rapid-transit system.
Rail Infrastructure Development Company, Karnataka, (K-RIDE) is in charge of the project. It is expected to be completed by 2026 at an estimated cost of Rs 15,767 crore.

Notes:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), along with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) released a new report, titled Indigenous Peoples’ Food System, Insights of sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change.
It identified hundreds of diverse plant and animal species that Indigenous people around the world depend on, to generate food sustainably and enhance biodiversity. The report also warned of increasing threats to these sophisticated food systems.

Notes:
The Central Government is set to notify the reappointment of Senior Advocate K K Venugopal as Attorney General for India for a period of one more year.
Being a constitutional post, the Attorney General for India is the top legal officer in the country. Mr Venugopal took over as the 15th Attorney General for India on July 1, 2017 and he is 91 years old.