Current Affairs Quiz - June 2022

Notes:
The Russian enclave Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea. It is sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland. It was captured by the USSR from Nazi Germany in April 1945. It became part of the USSR territory as the result of the Potsdam Agreement. It was recently in news because of a row after Lithuania decided to ban goods part of EU sanctions from moving through its territory to reach Kaliningrad.

Notes:
Two countries – Ukraine and Republic of Moldova – were granted the status of candidate country by the European Council. This paves the way towards them becoming the members of the European Bloc.

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The pink bollworm (Pectinophora gossypiella) is a pest that infests cotton farms. It is native to Asia. However, this invasive species has spread throughout the cotton-producing countries. Currently, several parts of Punjab are facing the threat of attack by pink bollworm.

Notes:
The new species of sea anemone called Stylobates calcifer lives in a symbiotic relationship with a hermit crab species called Pagurodofleinia doederleini. It was discovered at the depth of 100 to 400 meters in Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan.

Notes:
Kerala government is set to launch MEDISEP scheme from July 1, 2022. It is a medical insurance scheme for state government employees, pensioners and their eligible family members.
It will provide cashless medical assistance with a comprehensive coverage of up to Rs.3 lakhs per year.

Notes:
LGBTQ Pride Month is celebrated every year in the month of June. It commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan – which is recognized as the starting point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States.
Initially, the last Sunday in June was celebrated as ‘Gay Pride Day’. This soon grew to encompass month-long celebrations across the country. These events also include memorials for those who have lost their lives because of persecutions, hate crimes or HIV/AIDS.

Notes:
State Bank of India’s latest Ecowrap recent report stated that ‘Income inequality in India has been on a decline since FY17’.
The report noted that India also fared well during coronavirus pandemic in terms of navigating income shocks across population.  Sikkim and Goa led the states with a ratio of per capita income exceeding 3.

Notes:
The World Bank approved a USD 250 million loan for the Indian government’s road safety programme to addresses the high road accident fatality rate in the country.
The loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) has a maturity of 18 years. According to a World Bank study, road crashes are estimated to cost the Indian economy between 5% and 7% of GDP a year.

Notes:
Dr V Krishnamurthy, former chairman of public sector undertakings such as Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Steel Authority of India (SAIL) and Maruti Udyog (now Maruti Suzuki), passed away recently.
He is regarded as the ‘Father of Public Sector Undertakings’. He had served as Secretary of Industries for the Government of India, Member of the Planning Commission, and many other Prime Minister’s Committees. He was conferred Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan for his services.

Notes:
Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra, the role and powers of the Deputy Speaker are being discussed.
In the landmark judgment of ‘Kihoto Hollohan vs Zachillhu And Others’ (1992), the Supreme Court upheld the sweeping discretion available to the Speaker in deciding cases of disqualification of MLAs.