Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation, EPFO, launched a massive outreach programme in all the districts through a revamped ‘Nidhi Aapke Nikat’ programme.
The aim of this programme is to reach all the districts on 27th of every month and strengthen the relationship between the organization and its stakeholders.

Notes:
The Beating Retreat Ceremony held in Vijay Chowk, Delhi, marks the end to the four-day-long Republic Day celebrations in India.
It is also called ‘Beating the Retreat’. This year 29 Indian tunes were played by the music bands of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the State Police and the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF). Last year, an English hymn and a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi called Abide With Me was dropped.

Notes:
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced that one-year work experience would be made compulsory for recruitment in state government departments.
The practice would help the government in getting skilled manpower. The Chief Minister also launched ‘Har Ghar Dhyan’ organized by the Directorate of Art and Culture in collaboration with Art of Living.

Notes:
Netherlands emerged as India’s third largest exports destination after the US and UAE during April-December 2022.
The change is due to a surge in shipment of goods such as petroleum products, electronic items, chemicals, and aluminium goods. India’s trade surplus with the Netherlands has also increased from USD 1.5 billion in 2017 to USD 12.3 billion in 2022.

Notes:
Finland has invited Indian tech employees to migrate there for work, offering opportunities as global tech companies lay off thousands of employees. Over 10,000 Indians live in Finland for work and education.
Finland aims to double work-based migration and triple study-based migration by 2030. Business Finland, a government organisation for innovation funding and trade, travel and investments signed MoU with the Confederation of Indian Industry for talent mobility, in December 2022.

Notes:
Japan-based Toyota Motor Corp continues to be the world’s top-selling automaker, for a third straight year.
The company recently said it sold 10.5 million vehicles in 2022. Though the company was hit by chip-related supply constraints, strong demand in Asia and increase in production capacity helped it boost global production by 5% in 2022. Volkswagen Group is at the number 2 position, as it sold 8.3 million vehicles in 2022.

Notes:
Novak Djokovic’s Australian Open championship returned him to the top rank in the ATP rankings, replacing Carlos Alcaraz.
His four-place rise from No. 5 to No. 1 is the largest jump to the top spot in the 50-year history of the computerized rankings for men’s tennis. This marks Djokovic’s 374th week leading the ATP. With the 10th title at the Australian Open, he tied Rafael Nadal with 22 Grand Slam trophies.

Notes:
WAPCOS is an engineering consultancy and construction services firm under the Jal Shakti Ministry. In September 2022, it filed draft papers with market regulator SEBI for launching an IPO by selling 3.25 crore shares held by the Government.
Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) announced recently that the Government is targeting to launch the initial public offering (IPO) of IREDA, and WAPCOS, in the next fiscal.

Notes:
The Centre has initiated the process to block 138 betting and 94 loan-lending Chinese apps on an emergency basis.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued blocking orders based on emergency request by the Nodal officer of Ministry of Home Affairs. The move was taken after confirming that these apps contain material that is prejudicial to sovereignty of India under Section 69 of IT Act.

Notes:
The foreign ministers of France, India and the UAE have agreed to establish a formal trilateral cooperation initiative.
The ‘Defence and Energy Bloc’ aims to promote international stability and prosperity, and expand their defence ties with a focus on the Rafale fighter jets.