Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The Jharkhand government released draft rules for the effective implementation of The Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, commonly known as PESA, which was enacted in 1996.
The purpose of PESA is to establish self-governance through gram sabhas for the residents living in Scheduled Areas.

Notes:
The Italian parliament has given its approval to a contentious bill that makes it a criminal offense for citizens to travel abroad to pursue surrogacy arrangements.
This law, which has faced significant opposition, is specifically aimed at discouraging Italians from participating in surrogacy arrangements, and it carries the possibility of substantial fines exceeding USD 1 million and potential prison sentences of up to two years for those found guilty.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India inked a deal for a $295 million loan for the implementation of the Enhancing Connectivity and Sustainability in Bihar Roads Project.
The loan aims to enhance approximately 265 kilometers of state highways in Bihar with climate and disaster resilient features, alongside incorporating road safety elements.

Notes:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government has decided to enable listed and unlisted domestic companies to directly list their equity shares on the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Ahmedabad.
The decision will facilitate access to global capital and result in a better valuation of the Indian companies. The Finance Minister also launched Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) and AMC Repo Clearing Ltd (ARCL).

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:
In Rome, Italy, archaeologists have recently discovered the remains of Nero’s Theatre which is an ancient imperial theatre mentioned in historical texts.
The theatre was previously undiscovered and not has been located beneath the garden of a forthcoming Four Seasons hotel, positioned just a short distance from the Vatican.

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 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:
Resource Efficiency Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC) was launched on the sidelines of the 4th G-20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group (ECSWG) and Environment and Climate Ministers meeting in Chennai.
Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav said that this mission of this coalition is to promote greater company-to-company collaboration, build advanced capabilities across sectors, bring learnings from diverse and global experiences of the coalition members among others.

Notes:
Finland’s Food Authority reported H5N1 on two more fur farms, both housing foxes, raising the number of outbreaks to 14.
Norway reported the virus in a red fox pup while Germany reported the virus on a seal. Similar detections in seals and sea lions have occurred in multiple parts of the world.