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:
India’s National Climate Research agenda was released during the inauguration of the 2-day International Climate Research Conclave. It was organised at Department of Science and Technology’s Centre of Excellence in Climate Studies at IIT Bombay.
Its aim is to coordinate national efforts focusing on the understanding and addressing climate change by 2030 and beyond.

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:
Pisodonophis kalinga is a newly discovered species of eel found in Palur canal in Odisha’s Ganjam district.
It was found by scientists from the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI). The new species has been named Pisodonophis kalinga after the name of ancient Odisha. It has a snake-like appearance and has length from 560 millimetres to 7 metres.

Notes:
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won Turkey’s presidential election, defeating opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu runoff vote and stretching his rule into a third decade.
As per the official data inflation in Turkey was at 50.5 percent in March, down from a high of 85.6 percent in October.

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:
The armed forces are planning to set up additional joint logistics nodes across the country to boost integration in their logistical needs and streamline their supply chains.
While the last joint logistics node was operationalised in Mumbai in April 2021, the nodes in Guwahati and Tri-Services, Port Blair were operationalised in January 2021. The Joint Operations Division under the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff has been responsible for establishing the nodes.

Notes:
Brazil’s lower house of Congress approved Bill 490- a new land bill that restricts the new recognition of ancestral land of indigenous people in Brazil.
The bill would strip the environment and Indigenous people ministries of some powers, weakening their oversight of environmental protections and the demarcation of Indigenous lands.

Notes:
The British-era 110 MW Shanan hydropower project is situated at Jogindernagar in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh.
Commissioned in 1932, the Shanan hydroelectric powerhouse was built under a 99-year lease. Its lease is being disputed between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh governments.

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.