Current Affairs Quiz - June 2022

Notes:
Israel has signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates, its first big trade pact with an Arab state.
The agreement, which aimed at boosting trade between the two Middle Eastern nations, would encourage more Israeli companies to set up offices in the UAE, particularly in Dubai. The deal with Israel is UAE’s second bilateral free trade agreement after a similar accord with India in February.

Notes:
West Nile fever was first detected in 1937 in Uganda. The vector-borne infection is spread by the Culex species of mosquitoes. The fever was first detected in Kerala in 2011.
A 47-year-old man died due to West Nile fever in Kerala’s Thrissur district. It is the first fatality in the state caused by the disease in the last three years.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the ‘Scholarship for PMCARES Children’ under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, as a central sector scheme.
Under the Scheme, Scholarship of Rs 20,000/- per child per annum will be provided, including monthly allowance of  ₹1,000 and annual academic allowance of Rs. 8,000 to cover the entire school fees, cost of the books and uniform, shoes and other educational equipment.

Notes:
The Ministry of Defence signed a contract with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for the supply of ASTRA MK-I Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Air to Air Missile (AAM).
The contract includes associated equipment for the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, along with the missile, at a cost of ₹ 2,971 crore under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category. ASTRA MK-I BVR AAM has been indigenously designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Notes:
National Statistical Office (NSO) marginally slashed its year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast to 8.7 per cent, down from 8.9 per cent estimated in February.
The fourth quarter (January-March period of 2021-22) GDP growth was recorded at 4.1 per cent. The economy witnessed a 6.6 per cent contraction in 2020-21. The latest GDP growth estimate is lower than the second advance estimate of 8.9 per cent (released in February) and first advance estimate of 9.2 per cent (released in January).

Notes:
The Controller General of Accounts (CGA) released the fiscal deficit for 2021-22, which improved to 6.71 per cent of the GDP over the revised budget estimate of 6.9 per cent. The fiscal deficit in absolute terms was Rs 15,86,537 crore (provisional).
The increase was mainly on account of higher tax realisation. The tax receipts during the fiscal stood at Rs 18.2 trillion as against the revised estimates (RE) of Rs 17.65 trillion.

Notes:
‘Hurricane Agatha’, the first of the Pacific season hit Mexico and the casualties climbed to at least 10 dead and around 20 missing in southern Mexico.
Heavy rains triggered landslides and flooding in the country. The storm was the strongest to make landfall along Mexico’s Pacific coast in May since record keeping began in 1949. Mexico is regularly hit by tropical storms on both its Pacific and Atlantic coasts, between May and November.

Notes:
The Global Mercy, the world’s largest civilian hospital ship, made its debut in Africa in the port of Dakar, the capital city of Senegal.
It is scheduled to stay in Senegal for four weeks to train health professionals before returning in 2023 to provide surgical care for the poor. The giant ship measures 174 meters long and 28.6 meters wide and it comprises of 12 decks.

Notes:
State-owned PFC Ltd, formerly called as Power Finance Corporation announced that maiden green bonds of 300 million euros have been listed on Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LSE).
Luxembourg Stock Exchange (LSE) is the largest green bond listing platform. The listing has been done under the co-operation agreement signed between India INX and LSE. PFC is the largest non-banking financial corporation (NBFC) in the power sector, in India

Notes:
Railway Protection Force (RPF) launched a pan India drive “Operation Mahila Suraksha” was launched from May 3 to May 31, 2022.
During this drive, RPF has arrested more than 7,000 persons who were travelling in the coaches reserved for women without being authorised. RPF also rescued 150 women from becoming victims of human trafficking. Another pan India initiative “Meri Saheli” is also operational to provide safety and security to lady passengers.