Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2023

Notes:
Ireland announced the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant scheme recently for those who own a desolate house in one of its 20 islands on the western coast.
It offers a maximum of USD 92,000 to those people who want to develop and refurbish vacant and derelict homes and live in one of its 20 islands on the western coast. The scheme is part of a 10-year strategy for islanders.

Notes:
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region extends over a distance of 3,500 km (2,175 miles), spanning across Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. According to a recent report, it is projected that 75% of the snow in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will vanish entirely, leading to severe consequences such as hazardous floods and water scarcity for the 240 million inhabitants residing in the mountainous area.

Notes:
IPS officer Ravi Sinha was recently appointed as the new Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief. He takes up this position from Samant Goel, who has completed his four-year tenure with the external spy agency.
Sinha is currently the special secretary at the Cabinet Secretariat. He is a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre.

Notes:
The Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann approved to amend the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925.
It seeks to insert Section 125 A in the Act thereby making it incumbent on the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to ensure free-to-air live telecast of the holy Gurbani from Sri Harmandir Sahib.

Notes:
To commemorate the International Yoga Day 2023, the Ministry of AYUSH has organized a special event called the ‘Ocean Ring of Yoga’ to symbolize unity and solidarity.
As part of this initiative, Indian Navy ships stationed in the Indian Ocean Region are visiting different ports of friendly foreign nations to promote the message of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ which is also the theme for IDY 23.

Notes:
The Delhi Government is set to implement the Non-Conforming Industrial Area Redevelopment Project. It will transform all 26 Non-Conforming Industrial Areas into recognised Conforming Industrial Areas.
The government would bear 90 percent of the cost to convert all 26 non-conforming industrial areas in the city into conforming industrial areas. The remaining 10 percent of the cost will be contributed by the industries themselves.

Notes:
The Delhi government is planning to introduce a Cloud Kitchen Policy in the national capital. Its aim is to streamline licensing procedures for cloud kitchens by implementing a user-friendly single-window system through a digital platform.
The new policy will provide a significant boost to Delhi’s 20,000 existing cloud kitchens, benefiting thousands of workers employed in the industry.

Notes:
The PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister to facilitate e-KYC for farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The app allows farmers to complete the process remotely by scanning their face, without the need for OTP or fingerprint, and has now been extended to state government officers to help 500 farmers with e-KYC.

Notes:
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have signed a contract to develop two Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System Modules for the Indian Navy’s Kalvari Class submarines.
The AIP Modules have been developed by DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) in collaboration with L&T, which has received the Transfer of Technology (ToT) for this indigenous AIP System.

Notes:
The establishment of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP), led by the United States, aims to fast-track the global development of resilient and eco-friendly supply chains for crucial energy minerals.
India recently became its member alongside 12 other partner countries and the European Union.