Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2023

Notes:
Rejuvenating Watersheds for Agricultural Resilience through Innovative Development (REWARD) program is a World Bank-assisted initiative that is being implemented from 2021 to 2026.
Its implementation was reviewed recently by Secretary, Department of Land Resources (DoLR) and the World Bank team.

Notes:
XPoSat (X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India’s first polarimetry mission. It is currently being built by ISRO and Raman Research Institute.
According to ISRO, “XPoSat will study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions” and will carry two payloads. It is only the world’s second polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.

Notes:
A Submarine mud volcano is an underwater geological structure that was formed after the constant expulsion of gas or fluids like methane from the seabed.
Scientists have recently spotted a submarine mud volcano close to Norway’s Bear Island in Barents Sea. Bear Island is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago.

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:
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:
Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana was rolled out recently by the Maharashtra government.
The scheme is on the lines of the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi under which farmers get ₹6,000 a year as minimum income support. Once approved, the farmers in the state will be able to get a sum of ₹12,000 every year.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain 2.0 (CITIIS 2.0).
CITIIS 2.0 is a program conceived by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) in partnership with the French Development Agency (AFD), KfW, the European Union (EU), and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). The program will run for a period of four years, from 2023 till 2027.

Notes:
Swachh Jal Se Suraksha Campaign Report was released recently under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The campaign was organised from 2nd October, 2022 to 31st March, 2023.
Water quality testing has been reported in 5.39 lakh (89.69 %) villages for chemical and in 4.47 lakh (74.46 %) villages for bacteriological contamination.

Notes:
Union Minister For Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat launched the Unified Registration Portal For GOBARdhan. It will act as a one stop repository to assess investment and participation in Biogas/CBG sector at the national level.
It streamlines the process of setting up CBG/Biogas plants in India. Any government, cooperative or private entity operating or intending to setup a plant in India can obtain a registration number here.

 

Notes:
Ambulator is the name given to a new group of ancient marsupials with distinctive leg and foot characteristics.
Researchers have recently discovered Australia’s first long-distance walkers that roamed the continent’s parched interior 3.5 million years ago.