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:
The capital markets regulator – SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has released the guidelines for the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF).
The fund’s purpose is to serve as a backstop facility, facilitating the purchase of investment-grade corporate debt securities during times of market stress, thereby boosting confidence among participants in the corporate debt market.

Notes:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the USA and the U.S. Military have collaborated for a project named Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO). The project aims to launch a nuclear-powered satellite to Earth’s orbit in late 2025 or early 2026.
The spacecraft for the project is developed by Lockheed Martin. The project involves an in-space test of Nuclear Thermal Propulsion (NPT) technology, marking a significant technical advancement.

Notes:
China has granted Pakistan a two-year rollover on a USD 2.4-billion loan for a period of two years.
This move is expected to provide relief to Pakistan, which is facing a severe Balance of Payments crisis. Its current reserves barely cover two months’ worth of import bills.

Notes:
Singapore has hanged a 45-year-old woman who was caught with 31 grams of heroin. This is the first time the city-state has executed a woman in nearly 20 years.
Saridewi Binte Djamani was hanged after being convicted of trafficking “not less than 30.72 grams” of the drug in 2018.

Notes:
UNESCO, the United Nations cultural agency, has suggested adding Venice to its list of world heritage in danger, urging Italian authorities to intensify efforts to safeguard the historic city and its lagoon. The recommendation highlights the concerns about potential “irreversible” harm caused by factors such as climate change and over-tourism.

Notes:
The Swiss settlement of Mörigen, which flourished during the Bronze Age approximately between 800 to 900 BCE, provided a favorable site for such findings.
It is situated near the Twannberg field, renowned for containing meteoritic iron fragments from a prehistoric impact predating the last ice age. Here, an ancient Bronze Age arrowhead was found in the 19th century made from a meteorite.

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:
The Ministry of Finance launched a settlement scheme for contractual disputes with vendors or suppliers to government and its undertakings.
The ‘Vivad se Vishwas II — (Contractual Disputes)’ was announced during this year’s Union Budget. October 31 has been set as a deadline for firms Department of Expenditure to submit their claims for consideration.

Notes:
In Financial Year 2022-23, Government e-marketplace (GeM) registered its highest ever Gross Merchandise Value of ₹ 2,01,113 crore.
The Economic Survey 2021-22 observed that prices on GeM were observed to be 9.5% lower in comparison with other online platforms for 10 out of 22 commodities.