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:
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) recently released the Environmental Guidelines for Stone Crushing units.
The guidelines are based on the recommendations of the New Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment. CPCB is a statutory organization under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Notes:
The Indian government has recently issued an advisory against the malware called Daam. This virus is capable of hacking call records, contacts, history and camera.
The national cyber security agency advisory has warned that the ‘Daam’ virus is capable of bypassing anti-virus programs and deploying ransomware on the targeted devices.

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:
Saudi Arabia and Canada to restore full diplomatic ties and appoint new ambassadors, bringing an end to a dispute from 2018.
The rift between the two countries began when Canada’s embassy in Riyadh published a tweet in Arabic, calling for the immediate release of women’s rights activists who were detained in Saudi Arabia.

Notes:
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) plans to send a new spacecraft to an asteroid belt to investigate the history of the solar system and the potential origins of life.
Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt (EMA) aims to visit seven different asteroids and land on one of them called (269) Justitia. It is scheduled for launch in 2028.

Notes:
Global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2022 was released by the World Bank and S&P Global Market Intelligence.
It acts as the benchmark for assessing container port performance and efficiency worldwide. Pipavav Port on the Gujarat coast has emerged as the most efficient port in India in Global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) 2022. Globally, Pipavav Port has secured the 30th position.

Notes:
Canadian philosopher Ian Hacking has passed away recently. He is famed for his contributions to the philosophy of science, probability and mathematics.
Professor Hacking wrote several significant works on the philosophy and history of probability, including “The Taming of Chance” (1990).

Notes:
India recently joined the Centralised Laboratory Network (CLN) to test vaccines during pandemic and epidemics. This network currently has 15 partner facilities in 13 countries.
CLN is a part of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Network is the largest global group which has standardised methods and materials for testing.