Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
‘Magnaporthe oryzae’ is a fungus that causes ‘wheat blast’. It is currently destroying wheat crops in South America, threatening its food security in a major scale.
Scientists have warned that the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae could spread worldwide. Cases of infection have earlier been reported in Asia in 2016 and Africa in 2018.

Notes:
Jharkhand Reservation of Vacancies in Posts and Services (Amendment) Bill, 2022 proposes a raise in reservation in state government jobs from 60 percent to 77 percent for SC, ST and OBC communities as well as the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
Jharkhand Governor recently returned this bill to the government, directing it to be reviewed.

Notes:
Hanuman Plover Bird has been reinstated as species after more than eight decades. This bird is endemic to India and Sri Lanka.
Hanuman Plover Bird was merged with the Kentish plover in the 1930s as both species were considered to be the same.

Notes:
Exercise Orion, a bilateral military EXERCISE between the Indian Air Force and the French Air and Space Force (FASF) started at the Mont-de-Marsan airbase in France.
IAF Contingent comprises of four Rafale, two C-17, two ll-78 aircraft, and 165 air warriors. This would be the first overseas exercise for the IAF’s Rafale aircraft.

Notes:
Harmanpreet Kaur became the first Indian woman to be named as one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year. She led Mumbai Indians to win the inaugural Women’s Premier League in March.
Suryakumar Yadav was named Wisden’s Leading T20 Cricketer of the Year. At present, Suryakumar Yadav remains at number one position in the ICC T20 men’s rankings.

Notes:
Exercise INIOCHOS-23 is a multinational air exercise that will be hosted by the Hellenic Air Force, at the Andravida Air Base in Greece.
India’s air force is participating for the first time in the multinational air drill Iniochos 23. The exercise includes elements from Greece, France, the US, Italy, Saudi Arabia, India, Spain, Jordan, Slovenia, and Cyprus.

Notes:
‘Vote from Home’ Initiative was introduced for the first time in the Karnataka Assembly Elections by the Election Commission of India.
This procedure was chosen by around 8,900 persons who are above 80 years old or people with disabilities in Bengaluru.

Notes:
A new India-Iran-Armenia trilateral grouping was announced recently. The first trilateral political consultation between the foreign affairs ministries of the three countries was held recently in Yerevan, Armenia’s capital.
For India, Armenia has emerged as a key geopolitical partner in recent years. This trilateral grouping is expected to open opportunities for cooperation in areas like energy, transportation, trade, among others.

Notes:
The Ice Sheet Mass Balance Intercomparison Exercise (IMBIE) issues regular reviews of the state of the planet’s ice sheets.
It is supported by the US and European space agencies. As per the scientists, mass loss from Greenland and Antarctica is now responsible for a quarter of all sea-level rise.

Notes:
According to the World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) State of Global Climate Report, the unprecedented heat in Europe in 2022 resulted in several countries experiencing record-breaking temperatures.
This contributed to deaths of at least 15,000 individuals, which is more than any other single extreme climate event.