Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2023

Notes:
The Next Census will only count Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh and Jain as distinct religion options.
This is despite demands from several sections including Sarnaism, the Lingayat religion, to be counted as a separate religion. Census 2021, which was to be conducted in two phases, has been postponed indefinitely, with the Central government initially attributing the delay to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes:
Karnataka Bank appoints Srikrishnan Harihara Sarma as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD and CEO).
Sarma has nearly four decades of experience spread across Commercial, Retail, and Transactional Banking, Technology and Payments. He was part of the founding management team at HDFC Bank Ltd for over nine years.

Notes:
The Lipizzans are horses that are descendants of long stallion lines crossing Spanish, Arabic and Berber horses.
Lipizzans are famous for their “airs above the ground” classical dressage jumps. The tradition of Lipizzan breeding was recently included in UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The name derives from Lipica where the horses are found in Slovenia.

Notes:
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has granted approval to include TOEFL test scores as a valid option for the Student Direct Stream program in Canada.
The Student Direct Stream (SDS) is a program designed to accelerate the processing of study permit applications for international students intending to enroll in designated learning institutions for post-secondary education in Canada.

Notes:
Iraq presented an ambitious plan to turn itself into a regional transportation hub by developing its road and rail infrastructure, linking Europe with the Middle East.
Once completed, the $17 billion project known as the ‘Route of Development’ would span the length of the country, stretching 1,200 km  from the northern border with Turkiye to the Gulf in the south.

Notes:
Hvaldimir is the name given to a beluga whale that is suspected of being a Russian spy. It was spotted recently off the Swedish coast.
It was earlier spotted in northern Norway in April 2019 wearing a camera harness. US Navy used dolphins and sea lions as spies.

Notes:
Indian chess player Gukesh defeats Magnus Carlsen in 97 moves in the Norway Chess blitz tournament.
Gukesh was mentioned by Carlsen last year as the one to watch out for. Uzbekistan’s Nodirbek Abdusattorov (6 points) won the title by beating Gukesh (2.5) in the final round while Magnus Carlsen (4.5) finished seventh.

Notes:
An MoU was signed recently by the NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL) and Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) to collaborate in the development of Renewable Energy Parks and Projects.
This MoU also seeks to facilitate renewable energy transition in India. NTPC is India’s largest Power Utility, with a total installed capacity of about 72 GW.

Notes:
As many as 62 Desiccation-Tolerant Vascular plant species have been discovered in the Western Ghats in India.
These species have potential applications in agriculture, especially in regions where there is scarcity of water.

Notes:
Obstetric fistula is a health condition characterized by the formation of an opening between the passage through which a baby is delivered and the urinary or digestive system.
Zamibia recently unveiled the Obstetric Fistula Strategic Plan for the period 2022 to 2026. On May 23, Zambia commemorated International Day for Elimination of Obstetric Fistula with theme “20 years on — progress but not enough! Act Now to End Fistula by 2030”. As of 2018, more than 33,000 women and girls were affected in the country.