Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2021

Notes:
China has launched a 3-person manned mission to its space station, for a duration of 6 months in the spaceship named Shenzhou-13. The spaceship was launched by Long March-2F rocket. The crew members are missioned for the setting up of the orbiting structure of China’s own space station.
The activities of the crew include spacewalks and installation of key equipment.

Notes:
Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), the premium to be paid by farmers is fixed at 1.5% of the sum insured for rabi crops and 2% for Kharif crops, while it is 5% for cash/horticultural crops.
The balance premium is split between the Centre and states. The government has constituted a working group, to roll out an overhauled PMFBY from kharif 2022. The working group will find out reasons for high premium rates and suggest mechanism to rationalize them. This comes at the backdrop of exit of several states from the scheme

Notes:
Retired commodore Amit Rastogi, took over as the chairman and managing director of the National Research Development Corporation.
Amit Rastogi has been appointed to this position, after his service of 34 years in Indian Navy. NRDC is an enterprise of DSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology. It was established in 1953 to promote the development, promotion and transfer of technologies from various national R&D institutions.

Notes:
The American space agency NASA has launched a robotic spacecraft named Lucy, which is set to reach the Trojans (Jupiter’s asteroids) by 2027.
The spacecraft is designed to reach seven Trojan asteroids along with another one in the main Asteroid Belt. The spacecraft was launched using an Atlas V rocket from Florida.

Notes:
The first meeting of the Foreign ministers of India, Israel, the UAE and the USA held recently. It is dubbed as the New QUAD.
The virtual meeting discussed on increasing trade, enhancing cooperation in maritime security and global public health, as well as joint infrastructure projects in transportation and technology. Indian foreign minister S. Jaishankar held discussions with his counterparts.

Notes:
Infrastructure firm Larsen & Toubro Limited emerged as the lowest bidder for the construction and maintenance of the first three buildings of the Common Central Secretariat under the Central Vista redevelopment project.
According to the Central Public Works Department’s bid documents, Larsen & Toubro quoted around Rs 3,141 crore.Tata Projects Limited is constructing a new parliament building while Shapoorji Pallonji and Company Limited is executing the redevelopment work of the Central Vista Avenue stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate.

Notes:
Russia’s Energy Ministry signed an agreement with India’s Steel Ministry to increase coking coal supply to India up to 40 million tonnes per year.
The deal was signed at the Russian Energy Week Forum, held in Moscow. Russia currently supplies around 80 lakh tonnes of coal to India. The pact also aims for development of coal deposits, development of coal logistics and promotion of R&D in production.

Notes:
Union External Affairs Minister Jaishankar had his first visit to Israel as External Affairs Minister. He visited the country at the invitation of Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
The Minister unveiled a plaque at Ra’anana in northern Israel, in the memory of Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the Battle of Tabsor during World War I.  The battle was fought in September 1918. India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during the visit of PM Modi to Israel in July 2017.

Notes:
International Union for Conservation (IUCN), Global conservation body alerted Assam government on the threats faced by Bengal florican.
As per IUCN, Development activities and the state government’s plan to set up a university at Kokilabari seed farm near Manas National Park in Assam has posed a threat to the Bengal florican. IUCN urged that the Kokilabari seed farm, which is a haven for the Bengal florican, should be protected by declaring it a community reserve.

Notes:
Defence ministry signed agreement with the US to procure MK 54 torpedo and expendables worth Rs 423 crore, for Indian Navy.
These weapons are the outfit of P-8I Aircraft which has been used for Long-range Maritime Surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare and Anti-Surface Warfare. The Indian Navy has a total of 11 P-8I aircraft in its fleet, which are manufactured by the US aerospace company Boeing.