Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
Union Home Minister is set to inaugurate a distinctive program called ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ as a significant component of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.
This initiative falls under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping and is spearheaded by the Ministry of Culture.  The main objective of the project is to culturally map India’s 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 states and 7 union territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform.

Notes:
For the first time, India is hosting the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Greater Noida. It was inaugurated recently by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs.
The international event will see the participation of more than 30 Indian weightlifters, including many Khelo India Athletes.

Notes:
The NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has recently captured a captivating near-infrared image of the dynamic young stars, Herbig-Haro 46/47.
These are in the Vela constellation, which are about 1,470 light-years away from Planet Earth. These stars are actively forming and orbiting each other in a mesmerizing display. These stats are an  important object to study because it is relatively young — only a few thousand years old.

Notes:
The Kerala state government is set to roll out a unique scheme to provide financial support to first-time overseas emigrants from Kerala.
Titled ‘Shubhayatra’, the project envisages creating a positive and productive migration ecosystem by providing a financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh with a tax holiday for six months and interest subvention to meet the incidental expense of eligible candidates.

Notes:
Union Ministry of Education inaugurated the logo, slogan – “Jan Jan Sakshar,” and the mobile application for ULLAS: Nav Bharat Saksharta Karyakram.
The ULLAS initiative aims to transform education and literacy nationwide by creating a learning ecosystem that provides basic education, digital and financial literacy, and critical life skills to individuals aged 15 and above who missed the chance to attend school.

Notes:
Pakistan and China ink six agreements to help undertake the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects under a new model.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng witnessed the signing ceremony to mark 10 years of the CPEC. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Notes:
‘Great Barrier Reef’ is the world’s largest coral reef system, located in Australia. UNESCO, the United Nations organization responsible for deciding on the potential in danger listing of the Great Barrier Reef, chose to postpone the decision for another year rather than voting on it.
This is mainly due to the change in approach by the Australian government.

Notes:
The Buddh International Circuit (BIC) in Greater Noida is set to host India’s inaugural MotoGP Bharat race, making it the 31st country to host a motorcycle grand prix.
Despite having previously held Formula 1 races, this will mark the first time India hosts the premier motorcycle race.

Notes:
The UK has formally acknowledged that acts of genocide were committed against the Yazidi people by Daesh in 2014.
The Yazidis were subjected to massacres, forced marriages and sex slavery during the jihadists’ 2014-15 rule in the Iraq province of Sinjar.  It was announced ahead of events to mark “the 9 year anniversary of atrocities” committed by Islamic State against Kurdish-speaking Yazidi minority in Iraq.

Notes:
The US Government has granted approval for Israel to sell its “David’s Sling” anti-missile defense system to Finland.
Following the approval, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, the Finnish Ministry of Defense, and Rafael Advanced Systems, the Israeli defense contractor responsible for developing the system, will partake in a signing ceremony for a procurement agreement valued at around 316 million Euros.