Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) is a joint venture of Education Ministry, Government of India and Canara Bank for financing creation of capital assets in premier institutions.
A Parliamentary panel has recently directed the Education Ministry to fast track the process of disbursing sanctioned loans by the HEFA.

Notes:
‘Coastal Kerala Geckoella’ is a newly discovered species of ground-dwelling gecko. It is endemic to the low hills and coastal forest in northern Kerala.
Chengodumalaensis is a small, nocturnal species that is found on the ground among leaf litter and rocks in forests. Scientists have discovered the new species of ground-dwelling gecko, from the coastal forests of northern Kerala.

Notes:
Russia’s Decree on Spring Conscription was signed by President Vladimir Putin recently. The spring conscription campaign is calling 147,000 Russian citizens up for statutory military service.
Last September Putin signed an order calling up 120,000 people for the autumn campaign.

Notes:
DAGGER (Deep Learning Geomagnetic Perturbation) computer model can forecast geomagnetic disturbances 30 minutes in advance at the global level.
This AI model will help with the rapid and accurate prediction of the solar storm.

Notes:
Utkala Dibasa (Odisha Day) is observed on April 1. It commemorates the formation of the Indian State of Odisha after its separation from Bihar and the Orissa Province.
The addition of the Koraput District and Ganjam District from the Madras Presidency on 1 April 1936.

Notes:
Salar de Atacama is Chile’s largest salt flat. Much of the country’s lithium deposits are found in this region.
Chile is planning to collaborate with India to tap into the lithium value chain. The copper-producing nation- Chile, holds the world’s largest known lithium reserves.

Notes:
Three new species of bush cricket was found recently. Two of these species (Hexacentrus tiddae and Hexacentrus ashoka) were found in Haryana. In the local dialect of Haryana, bush crickets are referred to as tiddaes.
The third species found in Meghalaya was named Hexacentrus khasiensis — after the Khasi hills where it was discovered.

Notes:
The ‘Vaikom Satyagraha’ began on March 30, 1924 in the temple town of Vaikom, Kerala in the princely state of Travancore, marking the beginning of “temple entry movements” across the country.
Kerala and Tamil Nadu Chief Ministers recently inaugurated the centenary celebrations of anti-caste struggle Vaikom Satyagraha.

Notes:
The Himachal Pradesh recently repealed the Loktantra Prahari Samman Act.
The Act provides a monthly pension of Rs 20,000 and Rs 12,000 to the people who lodged in jails during the Emergency from 1975 to 1977. The repeal of the Act shall not affect the previous operations of the said Act.

Notes:
The Air Forces of India and the U.S. are set to conduct the Cope India exercise from April 10 to 21 at the Kalaikunda airbase in West Bengal.
The exercise will see intense air manoeuvres aimed at improving interoperability. Japan will be the observer of the exercise.