Current Affairs Quiz - June 2022

Notes:
The Patna Marine Drive is a 20.5 km long expressway which is currently being constructed in Bihar. The first phase of this project was inaugurated recently by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
The expressway is also known as the Ganga driveway. It is expected to be completed by the start of 2024. The project commenced in 2013 on the birth anniversary of Indian independence activist Jayaprakash Narayan. The cost of this project is estimated to be Rs.3,160 crore.

Notes:
As per the Goods and Services Tax (Period of Levy and Collection of Cess) Rules, 2022, notified by the Ministry of Finance, the compensation cess will continue to be levied from July 1, 2022 to March 31, 2026.
The levy of cess, which was to end on June 30 was extended by the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. It is used to repay the loans taken in the last two fiscal years to make up for the shortfall in revenue collection.

Notes:
The French-speaking West African countries Gabon and Togo joined the Commonwealth, becoming the latest nations with no historic ties to Britain to enter the Commonwealth of Nations.
The 54-nation group of mostly former British colonies accepted Togo and Gabon’s application for membership on the final day of its leadership summit held in Rwanda. They are the first new members to join the Commonwealth since Rwanda in 2009.

Notes:
The remains of the US Navy destroyer escort USS Samuel B Roberts, which had sunk during the Second World War, was found in the Philippine Sea.
The vessel, also known as the Sammy B, was split in half and lodged on a slop below the Pacific Ocean. It was found at a depth of 6,895 meters in the Philippines Sea. It remained undiscovered for nearly eight decades.

Notes:
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao recently inaugurated the new facility of business incubator T-Hub in Hyderabad.
The new building, called T-Hub 2.0 is claimed to be world’s largest innovation campus. The facility will support over 2,000 startups under one roof. Established in 2015, T-Hub (Technology Hub) is an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler based in the city of Hyderabad.

Notes:
Veteran lyricist, author and journalist, Chowalloor Krishnankutty passed away at the age of 86. He has authored over 3000 devotional songs and authored over 200 books.
He won several awards including the Kerala Sahithya Academy Award for satire, Poonthanam Jnanapana among others. Chowalloor Krishanankutty also produced documentaries on well-known Kathakali artists. He served as the Vice-Chairman of the Kerala Kalamandalam.

Notes:
Tapan Deka has been appointed the new chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), India’s central intelligence agency. He was serving as the Special Director in IB.
Current chief of Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) Samant Goel has been given another extension of one year in his tenure which comes to an end on June 30.

Notes:
The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has started authorising two Indian private firms, for private space sector launches in the country.
Dhruva Space’s Dhruva Space Satellite Orbital Deployer – (DSOD 1U), a technology demonstration payload, and Digantara’s Robust Integrating Proton Fluence Meter (ROBI), a Proton dosimeter payload, were authorised.

Notes:
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said budgetary provisions have been made for giving 300 units of free electricity to the state’s households from July 1.
The state announced that its primary aim is to restore deteriorating fiscal health, ensure effective use of public funds and concentrate on health and education. This is the first budget of the recently-elected Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state.

Notes:
UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and second-largest export destination in 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held bilateral talks with President of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, at Abu Dhabi.
Prime Minister conveyed condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepen and diversify the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.