ANSWER: A

• According to the state-run news agency, a powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in one of the deadliest quakes in decades reported.
• According to the Pakistan’s Meteorological Department the quake’s epicentre was in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, some 50 kilometers southwest of the city of Khost.
• According to Experts, the depth was at just 10 km that could have led to severe destruction.
• According to a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey that death toll depends on type of geography, building quality and population density.
• According to the European seismological agency, EMSC, the earthquake’s tremors were felt over 500 kilometres by 119 million people across Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

ANSWER: D

• The largest freshwater fish ever recorded was captured in Cambodia’s stretch of the Mekong River.
• A giant freshwater stingray measuring 4 meters (13 feet) from snout to tail and weighing 300 kilograms (661 pounds).
• The discovery occurred in a stretch of the Mekong known for its diversity of freshwater habitats that support crucial fish-spawning grounds and migration corridors and provide refuges for other mega fish species and threatened species, such as Irrawaddy dolphins and giant softshell turtles.
• It is categorized as endangered on the IUCN Red List.

ANSWER: C

About the “Balika Panchayat”:

• “Balika Panchayat” is managed by people in the 11-21 age group and its main objective is to promote the social and political development of the girl child and to remove the evil practices from the society such as child marriage, and the dowry system.
• The main objective of panchayat is that the girls should move forward in politics. In Balika panchayat, the member is nominated just like Gram panchayat.

KEY POINTS:

• The country’s first-ever, ‘Balika Panchayat’, has started in five villages of Gujarat’s Kutch district.
• The initiative aims to promote the social and political development of the girls and ensure their active participation in politics.
• The Panchayat has started in Kunaria, Maska, Motagua, and Vadsar villages of the Kutch district.
• This initiative has been taken by the Women and Child Development Welfare Department of the Gujarat Government under the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign. 
• The Ministry of Women and Child Development is also planning to begin the girl panchayat across the country.

ANSWER: D

• ‘Single-Use Plastic’ use to be outflow from July 1st, 2022 by the Union government. Single-use plastics, particularly those made of polystyrene and expanded polystyrene, will be illegal to produce, import, stock, distribute, sell, and use starting on July 1, 2022, nationwide.
• A national task group has also been established by the Environment Ministry to make coordinated efforts in this area.

Key Points:

• According to a response submitted by Minister of State for Environment Ashwini Choubey in Parliament, fourteen states and UTs have joined the special task force by July 23.
• The Delhi Environment Department will also launch a campaign on July 1 to guarantee compliance with the ban on 19 single-use plastics in the national capital, and any producers, suppliers, stockists, dealers, or sellers found in violation of the restrictions would be shut down.
• According to the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021, the manufacturing, importation, stocking, distribution, sale, and use of certain single-use plastic (SUP) goods, such as candy sticks, plates, cups, and cutlery, have been outlawed as of July 1, 2022.

ANSWER: C

• Tamil Nadu replaced Bihar and West Bengal to become the largest state in terms of outstanding portfolio of microfinance loans.
• According to MFIN Micrometer Q4 FY21-22, a quarterly report published by Microfinance Institutions Network (MFIN), the gross loan portfolio (GLP) of Tamil Nadu as of March 31, 2022 stood at ₹36,806 crore.
• It was followed by Bihar (₹35,941 crore) and West Bengal (₹34,016 crore).
• At the end of Q3FY22, West Bengal topped the chart with the highest outstanding portfolio of loans at ₹32,880 crore, followed by Tamil Nadu (₹32,359 crore).
• The Top 10 States (based on total microcredit universe) constitute 82.4 per cent of total GLP of the industry. West Bengal was followed by Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
• According to the report, around 64 per cent of the microfinance portfolio is concentrated in the East, Northeast, and Southern regions.

ANSWER: A

• India ranked third globally for total renewable power capacity additions in 2021 with 15.4 GW, behind only China (136 GW) and the US (43 GW).
• According to a report, despite the Covid-19 pandemic’s promise of a global green recovery, this historic opportunity has been lost.
• According to REN21’s Renewables 2022 Global Status Report (GSR 2022),the world is unlikely to be able to achieve important climate goals this decade, this is because the global clean energy transition is not taking place.

Key Points:

• The largest energy crisis in modern history started in the second half of 2021,and it was made worse by the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine in early 2022 and an unprecedented global commodities shock.
• The research states that India increased its hydroelectric capacity by 843 MW in 2021,bringing the total to 45.3 GW.
• India was the third-largest market globally and the second-largest market in Asia for new solar PV capacity (13 GW of additions in 2021).
• In terms of overall installations, it came in at number four (60.4 GW), passing Germany (59.2 GW) for the first time.
• India was in third place overall for installed wind power (40.1 GW), trailing only China, the US.
• In the energy industry, historic increases in generation (7,793 terawatt hours) and capacity (314.5 gigawatts, up 17% from 2020) were unable to keep up with the six percent growth in global electricity demand.

ANSWER: C

About Skalzang Rigzin:

• The 41-year-old Skalzang Rigzin has 23 years of experience in leading adventurous visitors in mountaineering in Ladakh.
• According to Skalzang Rigzin, fellow mountaineer and founder of Boots and Crampons Bharath Thammineni backed the Mt. Annapurna expedition, and Nepal’s Peak Promotion Company assisted in the ascent of the nearby  Lhotse.

KEY POINTS:

• Skalzang Rigzin, the first mountaineer from India to ascend Mount Annapurna ‘s top without the aid of oxygen was welcomed by Leh with open arms.
• With 16 days of gap between climb of Mt Annapurna on April 28 and Mt Lhotse on May 14, Skalzang Rigzin has set a record to conquer two summits without oxygen supplements.

ANSWER: D

• Indian women’s Wrestling team has won five medals to claim Under-17 Asian Championship title with a total of eight gold at Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
• India lifted the title with eight golds, one silver and one bronze.
• Japan came second and Mongolia finished third.
• Indian women including Ritika, Ahilaya Shinde, Siksha, Priya received gold in their respective weight category.

ANSWER: D

• In the Majathal wildlife area of ​​Solan district of Himachal Pradesh, a rare species of bird named Gray Cround Preenia has been found.
• The name of this bird is not recorded till date in the records of the Wildlife Department of Himachal Pradesh. This rare species of bird is found in Uttarakhand.
• The current threat to this bird is due to the fire in the pine leaves and this bird could be at risk of burns.
• Apart from this, the cement factory adjoining the forest also threatened this bird.

ANSWER: D

• The Luddar Mahadev Fair that was discontinued following Covid was organised after the permission of the High Court.
• According to president of the organizing committee, the HC had granted permission with certain conditions and a payment of Rs 11,000 to be deposited to the school welfare fund.
• More than 10,000 from nearby villages participated in the fair.
• This would help in preserving old traditions.