Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The Lok Sabha has recently passed the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill 2023. It aims to expand the scope of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
The Bill acknowledges India’s international commitments and the national target set by the country for achieving Net Zero Emission by 2070.

Notes:
A Coup by group of soldiers is currently underway in Niger. Soldiers appeared on state TV to announce they had removed the President from power, seized control of the government and suspended the constitution.
Recently, the commander of the guard, Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani has declared himself the leader of Niger in a televised address.

Notes:
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres delivered a powerful message on climate change, urging immediate radical action to address the record-shattering July temperatures.
He said that this phenomenon indicate that the Earth has entered an ‘era of global boiling’ surpassing warming phase.

Notes:
India’s gross revenues from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hit a three-month high to cross ₹1.65 lakh crore in July 2023. July’s collections were 2.2% higher than the previous month’s GST collection.
However, at 10.8%, it was the slowest uptick in collections since July 2021 compared to revenues from the same month last year.

Notes:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the Department of Forest and Environment’s Amrit Brikshya Andolan web portal/mobile application and the Wood-based Industry (WBI) registration web portal, along with the theme song for the Amrit Brikshya Andolan.
It is an initiative aimed at planting a total of 1 crore commercially-viable saplings across the State by individuals from various walks of life.

Notes:
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, is scheduled to visit Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, to inaugurate two events: the ‘Unmesha’ International Literature Festival and the ‘Utkarsh’ Festival of Folk and Tribal Performing Arts.
These events are organized by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Sahitya Akademi and Sangeet Natak Akademi, respectively.

Notes:
The International Space Station has entered its final phase of operation, with international agreements running until 2028-2030.
With a view to replace orbital complex as part of a public-private partnership, NASA has launched various programs. Voyager Space and Airbus announced the creation of a joint venture to build and operate the Starlab station. The joint venture will have a European JV entity to serve the European Space Agency and the space agencies of its member states.

Notes:
The Union Education Ministry has constituted an expert committee to revisit its regulations and guidelines on anti-discrimination with respect to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, and other minorities in higher educational institutions.
University Grants Commission (UGC) had taken this step after a Supreme Court direction, where the top court asked the government to clarify the affirmative steps it had taken to make campuses free of caste discrimination.

Notes:
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, in its 51st meeting held recently, decided to stick to its earlier decision to impose a 28 per cent tax on the full-face value of the bets placed on online gaming, casinos and horse-trading.
The council said a 28 per cent GST would apply from October 1.

Notes:
Port Moresby, the expansive capital of Papua New Guinea, is located to the north of Australia.
The Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kolkata, which are on a mission in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region, reached Port Moresby with the aim of strengthening maritime collaboration and partnership with Papua New Guinea.