Current Affairs Quiz - June 2022

Notes:
The Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) has been approved for continuation till 2025-26 with the total outlay of Rs 13,554.42 crore.
The extension of the scheme is over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26. The scheme will create sustainable employment opportunities for about 40 lakh persons in five financial years. It is implemented by the Ministry of micro, small and medium enterprises.

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:
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.

Notes:
Denmark is set to join the European Union’s defence policy after it held a referendum for the decision. Denmark is the only EU member that is not part of the EU’s Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP).
The Denmark government has succeeded in abolishing an exemption secured in a 1993 referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. Sweden and Finland also placed historic bids to join NATO, which will be taken up at the upcoming summit.

Notes:
IIM-Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has partnered with an e-marketplace for agricultural land, SFarms India, to develop a farm land price index based on the sales and purchases done on the platform.
The ‘IIM-Ahmedabad SFarmsIndia Land Price Index (ISALPI)’ records and presents the data on prices of agricultural land in the country. It can be used by local governments to compensate people who lose land for highway expansion

Notes:
The Martin Ennals Foundation has decided to posthumously pay homage to Father Stan Swamy. He was a Jesuit priest and tribal rights activist from Jharkhand who had been arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case. He worked closely with Adivasi communities to safeguard their land, forest and labour rights.
The Geneva-based foundation presents the award regarded as the Nobel Prize for human rights defenders every year. The recipients of this year’s awards include Daouda Diallo from Burkina Faso, Pham Doan Trang from Vietnam and Abdul-Hadi Al-Khawaja of Bahrain.

Notes:
The species, Eublepharis pictus, also known as the Painted Leopard Gecko, was originally found in Visakhapatnam in 2017.
The species, which was considered as East Indian Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis hardwickii), has now been identified as a member of a new species. It appears to be common in the forests of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. The two species appear to be separated by the Brahmani River.

Notes:
Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh addressed the ‘Start-up India-2022 Expo and Conclave’ as the Chief Guest.
It was organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi.  After the launch of ‘StartUp India StandUp India’, the number of StartUps in India has grown to 70,000 from about 400 from 2014 to 2022.

Notes:
Rajasthan launched a special Health Care scheme ‘Anchal’ in the Karauli district for pregnant women. During the campaign, over 13000 pregnant women were tested for their haemoglobin levels and are advised to take right medicines.
Under this campaign, it is also ensured that the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife and ASHA workers in the district are in constant touch with the pregnant women of their respective areas.

Notes:
The Government has approved 8.1 per cent rate of interest on employees’ provident fund (EPF) deposits for the year 2021-22, from 8.5 per cent provided in the previous year.
The 8.1 per cent EPF rate of interest is the lowest since 1977-78, when it stood at 8 per cent. The interest rate on EPF deposits was decided by the Central Board of Trustees (CBT) and was ratified by the finance ministry 2021.