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 National Conference on ‘Moving Mental Health Beyond Institutions’ was inaugurated recently in New Delhi.
The main purpose of the conference is to address the difficulties faced during the execution of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, and to engage in thoughtful discussions about the future steps to resolve mental health concerns.

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:
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 British government has opened its second ballot under the UK-India Young Professional Scheme. This is a scheme for Indians aged between 18 and 30 years with graduate-level qualifications for visas to the United Kingdom.
It offers eligible young Indians the opportunity to live, work or study in UK for up to two years. This joint scheme between UK and India was formally launched this year in February. This scheme will enable candidates to enter the UK at any time while their visa is valid and leave or return anytime during their stay.

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:
Pakistan and China ink six agreements to help undertake the second phase of the USD 60 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects under a new model.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng witnessed the signing ceremony to mark 10 years of the CPEC. The CPEC, which connects Gwadar Port in Pakistan’s Balochistan with China’s Xinjiang province, is opposed by India as it is being laid through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Notes:
India’s top publishing house, Publications Division, has introduced ‘Yojana Classics’ a collection centered on diverse thematic subjects. It functions under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The series is compiled from carefully selected works published in Yojana, the renowned monthly publication by Publications Division since 1957.

Notes:
‘Great Barrier Reef’ is the world’s largest coral reef system, located in Australia. UNESCO, the United Nations organization responsible for deciding on the potential in danger listing of the Great Barrier Reef, chose to postpone the decision for another year rather than voting on it.
This is mainly due to the change in approach by the Australian government.

Notes:
A new World Health Organization (WHO) report revealed that over the past 15 years, 71% of the global population, approximately 5.6 billion people, are now protected by at least one of the measures, five times more than in 2007.
The WHO’s MPOWER measures aim to monitor tobacco use and prevention policies, protect people from tobacco smoke, provide assistance to quit tobacco, warn about the dangers of tobacco, enforce bans on tobacco advertising, and raise taxes on tobacco products.