Current Affairs Quiz - April, 2023

Notes:
The Arcturus variant, also known as XBB.1.16, is a type of Omicron variant that is spreading in India. It is believed to be responsible for the surge in COVID-19 cases in India.
The surge is being monitored by the WHO as it has shown high infectivity and increased pathogenicity.

Notes:
Satuani is a festival related to nature. The traditional harvest festival will be celebrated in North India mainly in Bihar to mark the start of the summer season.
It includes eating sattu made out of lentil flour. Jur Sital, also known as Maithili new year will be observed on the next day of Satuani.

Notes:
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) issued guidelines for the first time for conducting ‘preliminary assessment’ of child suspects.
The guidelines will help to determine whether a child should be treated as a minor or not in criminal cases which come under the ‘heinous’ offences category of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Juvenile Justice Board is responsible for conducting preliminary assessment.

Notes:
The ‘Banking on Climate Chaos Report’ was co-authored by several institutions including Rainforest Action Network, BankTrack, Indigenous Environmental Network among others.
According to this report, world’s 60 largest banks have spent 5.5 trillion USD for funding fossil fuel projects since 2016, when the Paris Agreement came into effect. J P Morgan Chase is the top bank financing fossil fuels globally from 2016–2022.

Notes:
Union Tourism Minister G Krishan Reddy and Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar flagged off Bharat Gaurav Tourist train to mark the birth anniversary of Dr B R Ambedkar from New Delhi.
Government has developed Panchteerth, five place associated with Dr Ambedkar. During the 8-day tour, the train will cover cities including, New Delhi, Mhow, Nagpur, Varanasi and sacred Buddhist sites like Sanchi, Sarnath, Gayaand Rajgir and Nalanda.

Notes:
The National Panchayat Awards Week was observed from April 17 to 21 this year to commemorate the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav 2.0.
President of India Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the National Panchayat Awards Week and confer the National Panchayat Awards at ‘National Conference on Incentivization of Panchayats-cum-Award Ceremony’.

Notes:
De-risking, Inclusion and Value Enhancement of Pastoral Economies (DRIVE) project is a World Bank-funded project that seeks to protect pastoralists against droughts with upgraded livestock value chain and increased financial services.
As part of this project, a unique insurance scheme has been launched in Kenya to protect herders against climate change-related droughts.

Notes:
Miguel Diaz-Canel recently became the first non-Castro leader in Cuba to be re-elected as president. He won a second five-year term in a parliamentary vote that had him as the sole candidate. The 62-year-old leader took over the reins in 2018 as Cuba’s first civilian leader after around 60 years of hegemony by the Castro brothers.

Notes:
The ‘1 Billion Meals Endowment’ Campaign was launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Its purpose is to establish the Ramzan sustainable food aid endowment fund and provide a food safety net for marginalized populations in countries struggling with food insecurity.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Assembly has recently adopted a resolution urging the Centre to extend quota for Dalit Christians.
The resolution urged the Centre to amend the Constitution to extend statutory protection, rights, and concessions, including reservation, to Scheduled Caste members who have converted to Christianity.