Daily Current Affairs Quiz: July 07, 2023

Telangana Horticultural University VC named head of oil palm research panel B Neeraja Prabhakar has been appointed Chairperson of the Oil Palm Research Advisory Committee by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for three years.
The 10-member Research Advisory Committee will guide the Indian Institute of Oil Palm Research (Pedavegi, Andhra Pradesh) in formulating its research plans.

ICAR HQ: New Delhi
ICAR DG: Himanshu Pathak

World Chocolate Day, celebrated on July 7 each year, is a delightful occasion that brings people together.

Established in 2009, World Chocolate Day commemorates the anniversary of chocolate’s introduction to Europe in 1550. Before 1550, chocolate was primarily available in specific countries across South and Central America, such as Mexico.

World Chocolate Day holds significant meaning as it serves as a delightful reminder of the universal love and appreciation for one of the world’s most beloved treats.
It is a day that transcends cultural boundaries and brings people together in the joyous celebration of chocolate.

The Seventh edition of the Indian Navy – US Navy (IN – USN) Salvage and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) exercise, SALVEX was conducted from 26 Jun – 06 Jul 23 at Kochi.
IN and USN have been participating in joint Salvage and EOD exercises since 2005. The exercise saw participation from both the navies, including the ships – INS Nireekshak and USNS Salvor and Specialist Diving and EOD teams.

Spanning over 10 days, the Diving teams of both countries shared experiences on Maritime Salvage and trained together in various facets of EOD Operations on land as well as at sea.
SALVEX also saw joint training exercises to enhance interoperability, cohesiveness and gain from best practices mutually in Maritime Salvage and EOD operations.

According to a report released, Bihar has overtaken Tamil Nadu to become the state with the highest microlending borrowings in India as of March 2023.
The report, published by credit information company Crif High Mark, highlighted Bihar’s impressive growth with a 13.5 per cent increase in the gross lending portfolio during the March quarter compared to the previous quarter.
Bihar Chief Minister: Nitish Kumar;
Bihar Governor: Rajendra Arlekar;
Bihar Capital: Patna

India’s third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, will lift off from the spaceport in Sriharikota at 2.35 pm on July 14 onboard the GSLV-Mk3 or LVM3 and if all goes as per plan, Vikram (lander) will land on Moon on August 23 or 24.
ISRO chairman S Somanath said in Bengaluru: “If the launch takes place on 14th July, we’ll reach the Moon by the end of August.

Unlike its predecessor, which carried an orbiter along with Vikram and Pragyan (the rover), Chandrayaan-3 is a composite of three modules: propulsion, lander and rover.
The spacecraft will weigh 3,900 kg — the propulsion module weighs 2,148 kg and the lander module, including the rover, weighs 1,752 kg.

Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in Madhya Pradesh, India, has made history by becoming the first urban body in the country to receive Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) credit for recycling banned single-use plastic items.
Indore has implemented a complete ban on single-use plastic items within the city. In recent times, the IMC seized approximately eight tonnes of such plastic, preventing its circulation.

EPR is an environmental policy approach in which a producer’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a product’s life cycle.
Indore’s EPR credit, amounts to Rs 8,100, acknowledging the IMC’s commitment to responsible waste management and sustainable practices.
Indore has been ranked as the cleanest city in India for the: 6th time
Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

The foundation stone-laying ceremony of Shri Motibhai R. Chaudhary Sagar Sainik School in Boriyavi village of Mehsana, Gujarat marked a significant milestone in the education sector.
This groundbreaking project, inaugurated virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is set to become the first Sainik School in India to be operated by a cooperative organization.
Sainik Schools are English medium residential schools affiliated with: the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Sainik Schools prepare Cadets to join the: National Defence Academy
Sainik Schools were started in 1961

Odisha CM lays foundation stone for redevelopment of areas around 11th-century Lingaraj Temple Launched in 2019, under the Ekamra Kshetra (ancient name of Bhubaneswar) Amenities and Monuments Revival Action (EKAMRA) plan, the Naveen Patnaik government has planned to develop around 80 acres surrounding the ancient shrine of Lord Shiva.
Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar
Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal
Odisha CM: Naveen Patnaik

The Odisha government has introduced the Mo Jungle Jami Yojana, a scheme aimed at bolstering forest rights among tribals and forest dwellers across the state’s districts.
Odisha will become the first state in India to recognize community forest rights.
With 62 different tribes, including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), the state’s tribal population accounts for 22.85% of the overall population.

Odisha Capital: Bhubaneswar
Odisha Governor: Ganeshi Lal
Odisha CM: Naveen Patnaik

Prime Minister recently pitched for sharing India’s AI-based language platform, Bhashini, with SCO member countries to remove language barriers within the international grouping.
Digital India BHASHINI, is India’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-led language translation platform.
It seeks to enable easy access to the internet and digital services in Indian languages, including voice-based access, and help the creation of content in Indian languages.
It aims to make Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (NLP) resources available in the public domain to be used by — Indian MSMEs, startups and individual innovators.

Shri Debadatta Chand has assumed charge as the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Bank of Baroda (Bank) today. He takes over from Shri Sanjiv Chadha, whose tenure ended on June 30, 2023.

Before he was appointed MD & CEO, Shri Chand served as the Executive Director at Bank of Baroda since March 2021.
In his role as the Executive Director, he oversaw Corporate & Institutional Credit, Corporate & Institutional Banking, Treasury & Global Markets, Mid-Corporate Business, and Trade & Foreign Exchange.
Bank of Baroda is an Indian public sector bank headquartered in Vadodara, Gujarat.
It is India’s second largest public sector bank after the State Bank of India, with 153 million customers, a total business of US$218 billion, and a global presence of 100 overseas offices.

Indian archers Priyansh and Avneet Kaur won gold in the junior mixed team compound event, defeating Israel in the final of the World Archery Youth Championships in Limerick, Ireland.
It was a nail-biting contest wherein the Indian players beat Israel with a close score of 146-144.
India’s Manav Jadhav and Aishwarya Sharma also won a bronze medal defeating Mexico in the cadet mixed compound event. The World Archery Youth Championships event is taking place at the University of Limerick in the west of Ireland from July 3 to 9.

The 67th convention of the Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) has kick-started in the vibrant capital city of Colombo today. The convention aims to promote regional tourism and strengthen bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka.

With the theme “Transcending Borders, Transforming Lives,” the event positions Sri Lanka as a preferred destination for Indian outbound travellers.

The convention will feature two days of business sessions and a Buyer-Seller meet mart hosted at the renowned Cinnamon Grand Colombo and Shangri-La Colombo hotels.
Sri Lanka Capital: Colombo
Sri Lanka Currency: Sri Lankan Rupees
Sri Lanka President: Ranil Wickremesinghe

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) launched eSARAS mobile App which will add to eCommerce initiatives for products made by the SHGs.

Currently available for Android phones, eSaras is essentially an online platform to buy Indian handicraft items and handloom items.
The e-commerce platform as well as the app have been developed for the enhancement of the livelihood of the rural people.
This online platform showcases the products made by self-managed Self Help Groups (SHGs) and federated institutions.

The App was launched by Mr Shailesh Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Rural Development, Govt of India at New Delhi. On this occasion, Mr Singh also inaugurated eSARAS Fulfillment Centre at the Ministry’s Janakpuri office in New Delhi.

NASA is contributing to the European Space Agency mission, which will complement dark energy studies by the agency’s upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope.
The ESA (European Space Agency) Euclid spacecraft lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida beginning its mission to study why the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate. Astronomers use the term “dark energy” for this accelerated expansion’s unknown cause.