Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2023

Notes:
India has moved WTO dispute panel over Information and communication technologies (ICT) import duties.
The WTO’s apex dispute resolution body, the Appellate Body, hasn’t been functional for nearly two years due to America’s blockage on appointment of judges.

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 Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) is the largest public health initiative in history. It was founded in 1988.
Recently Cameroon, Chad and Niger have initiated Africa’s largest polio vaccination campaign since 2020 with the support from WHO via the GPEI.

Notes:
A Tokyo-based startup Preferred Robotics has introduced a robot called Kachaka for home use. It has the capacity to deliver items through voice commands.
The robot’s AI technology enables it to analyse camera images, allowing it to detect and avoid obstacles. Kachaka has a maximum carrying capacity of 20 kg, including the attached table.

Notes:
The 44th plenary on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO) is a four-day event hosted by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
The ISO countries have renewed their commitment to incorporate the objectives of the SDGs into its standards programme. BIS’s initiatives, such as Manak Manthan, Quality Connect are aimed at enhancing consumer engagement in standardisation.

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:
The Draft Aircraft Bill, 2023 has been proposed by the Civil Aviation Ministry after reviewing the existing Aircraft Act, 1934.
It aims to simplify the regulations of India’s aviation sector. It gives enough powers to administer the regulatory role to statutory body, such as the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, meeting regulatory challenges in current scenarios.

Notes:
National record-holder Jyothi Yarraji won the women’s 100m hurdles gold in 13.08s in the T-Meeting at Tilburg in the Netherlands.
Earlier at the 26th National Federation Cup athletics championships in Ranchi, she had clocked 12.89 seconds in the final.

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:
European Space Agency (ESA) confirmed that an alien signal has been beamed to Earth from Mars for the first time.
The Trace Gas Orbiter, an ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars, transmitted a signal and it was received by the four telescopes/ stations. The transmission is part of “A Sign in Space” project, which is an interdisciplinary project by media artist Daniela de Paulis.