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:
The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation recently released the latest figures from the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). These figures indicate that the unemployment rate in Indian cities is at the lowest since the survey started in 2018.
The unemployment rate among men stood at 6.0%, while for women it was 9.2%.

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:
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.

Notes:
The US Food and Drug Administration approved Pfizer’s RSV vaccine for older adults, the second such shot approved for the common virus.
Earlier in May, the agency approved the world’s first RSV vaccine for older adults, made by GSK. The vaccines could be available for seniors by fall, pending recommendations from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and its vaccine advisers.

Notes:
Capital Market Regulator- SEBI recently proposed mandatory additional disclosure norms from high-risk foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).
This will help increase protection for investors and create trust and transparency in securities market.

Notes:
GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation) is an Indian satellite-based augmentation system that provides accuracy needed to rely on GPS for flight.
Recently, Asia’s first demonstration of performance-based navigation for helicopters was conducted by India using the GAGAN satellite technology.

Notes:
The Goods & Services Tax (GST) revenue collected in the month of May 2023 rose 12% on an annual basis to Rs 1.57 lakh crore. The Finance Ministry reported the GST collections for the month of April 2023 at Rs 1.87 lakh crore, the highest ever.
Monthly GST revenues more than Rs 1.4 lakh crore for 14 months in a row, with Rs 1.5 lakh crore crossed for the 5th time since inception of GST.

Notes:
The Uttar Pradesh government launched a 15-day registration campaign for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in all 75 districts across the state.
The campaign aims at covering around 14 lakh such MSMEs that are not yet registered with the MSME Udyam portal, and providing them all the benefits of the schemes of the state government. There are more than 90 lakh active MSMEs in the state, but only 14 lakh are registered.