Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

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:
The ALE, a Japanese company, is currently planning to create an “Artificial Meteor Shower”. The meteor shower will be created using pressure driven system of gas tanks.
ALE is sending satellites into space to create the world’s first human-made meteor shower. It is named ‘Sky Canvas’ and the project was initially scheduled for launch in 2020. It was delayed due to a satellite malfunction.

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:
To ensure more transparency and timely disclosure of material events by listed entities, SEBI decided to amend norms whereby a quantitative threshold will be introduced for determining the materiality of events.
The regulator has decided to do away with the practice of individuals having permanent seats on boards of listed companies.

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:
The Indian government unveiled its Foreign Trade Policy 2023 which seeks to boost merchandise and services exports by USD 2 trillion by 2030 from the current level of USD 765 billion.
The Policy also seeks to make the Indian Rupee the global currency in settling international trade payments.

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:
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenue collection for the month of March 2023 is stood at 1.6 lakh crore rupees.
This is 13 percent higher than the GST revenues in the same month of last year. It is for the fourth time, in the current financial year that the gross GST collection has crossed 1.5 lakh crore rupees, since the implementation of GST.

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.

Notes:
NASA named the first woman and the first African-American ever assigned as astronauts to a lunar mission.
Christina Koch, an engineer who already holds the record for the longest continuous spaceflight by a woman, was named as a mission specialist, along with Victor Glover, a U.S. Navy aviator, who was selected as the Artemis II pilot.