Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
A no-confidence motion is a step typically taken by an Opposition party to compel the current government to demonstrate its majority in the House.
Recently, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla accepted a motion of no-confidence against the government, which was initiated by Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, after fulfilling the requisite headcount of 50 MPs as mandated by the rules.

Notes:
Amid escalating tensions in the South China Sea, China views the US presence as a violation of its territorial claims and has employed the “cabbage strategy,”.
It involves the construction of artificial islands and encircling disputed areas with numerous ships to assert control gradually. The situation has led to measures, including detaining trespassers and the possibility of implementing an air identification zone over the South China Sea by various nations involved.

Notes:
The LEI (Legal Entity Identifier) is a unique 20-character code that serves as a global identifier for legal entities involved in financial transactions. It aims to create a reference data system for uniquely identifying entities across jurisdictions.
The capital market regulator – Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated that all non-individual Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) must provide their Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) details in the common application form used for registration, KYC, and account opening.

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:
India and Papua New Guinea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the sharing of INDIA STACK.
It was signed between the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (MICT) of the Papua New Guinea and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) of India.

Notes:
The Hyderabad-based International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) released BARI Chinabadam-12 (ICGV 07219), an improved groundnut variety in Bangladesh.
The variety is available for cultivation for the upcoming season post rains. It has resistance to foliar fungal diseases and matures four days earlier than its counterpart.

Notes:
The first nuclear reactor in seven years has recently entered service in Georgia in the United States. At its full output of 1,100 megawatts of electricity, Unit 3 can power 500,000 homes and businesses.
The unit which is now in commercial operation, entered seven years late and USD 17 billion over budget. A number of other utilities in Georgia, Florida and Alabama are receiving the electricity, in addition to the 2.7 million customers.

Notes:
The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is native to Spain and Portugal’s Iberian Peninsula. The wolf was declared extinct in the Andalusia region in 2020, as reported by the regional government.
No evidence of wolf presence was found in Andalusia during the same year.

Notes:
Italian authorities from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage reported the discovery of an ancient cargo ship wreckage off the port in Civitavecchia, near Rome.
The ship, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century BC, contains hundreds of well-preserved Roman jars, known as amphorae, found using a remotely operated robot.

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.