Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur confirmed that India men’s and women’s football teams will participate in the upcoming Asian Games 2023 in China.
India football teams did not get the nod to participate in the Asian Games 2018 edition. Sports Ministry of India relaxed a rule which stated that only top 8 teams in Asia will get the nod to participate.

Notes:
Recently, International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think tank, in collaboration with India’s Bharat Shakti defense platform, organized the UK-India Defence and Military Technology Cooperation workshop in London.
The workshop aimed to explore joint initiatives in defense research and industrial production, focusing on various themes such as the changing strategic context of UK-India defense relations, perspectives on India’s Atmanirbhar program, and the UK’s defense technology partnerships.

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:
Micron reaffirmed its commitment to establish India’s first semiconductor plant in Gujarat, creating 5,000 direct jobs and addressing demand from domestic and international markets.
The project entails a total investment of USD 2.75 billion. The first Made in India’ chip should be ready by December 2024.

Notes:
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has set up a working group to decriminalise laws to further promote ease of doing business.
The group comprised representatives from industry associations, business chambers, legal professionals, and officials of seven ministries. It would also have representatives of the National Housing Bank, NABARD and CPCB.

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:
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:
The United States has announced USD 345 million in military aid for Taiwan. This is Biden administration’s first major package drawing on America’s own stockpiles to help Taiwan counter China.
The package would include defense, education and training for the Taiwanese. Washington will send man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, intelligence and surveillance capabilities, firearms and missiles, according to two U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive matters.

Notes:
To improve the collection of sowing data, the government has initiated a pilot project called Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in 12 states starting from the Kharif season of 2023.
The DCS reference application uses technologies like GIS and GPS, and aims to ensure accurate crop area estimation and support farmers with solutions. It has been created as a publicly available open-source and interoperable tool, adhering to open standards.

Notes:
In 2018, the Indian government introduced the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) as a measure to take action against individuals accused of committing significant economic frauds and fleeing the country to escape prosecution.
Under this act, 10 people have been declared as fugitive economic offenders by various courts, from 19 people booked by the Enforcement Directorate. These economic offenders were involved in fraud of over Rs 40,000 crores.