Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The Sports Ministry has decided to recognise the Handball Association of India (HAI) as the official body to run the game in the country.
Recently the IOA also gave HAI recognition after it agreed to merge with the Handball Federation of India (HFI). India has been preparing for the upcoming Hangzhou Asian Games.

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:
Maharashtra-based Aditya Samant became India’s 83rd Grandmaster after earning his third GM norm at the Master Tournament (MTO) in the Biel International Chess Festival.
He had earned his first norm to become a grandmaster at the Abu Dhabi Masters last year in August. His second norm was achieved in December last year at the 3rd El Llobregat Open.

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:
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:
Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Akhil Bhartiya Shiksha Samagam at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi. He also released the first instalment of funds under the PM SHRI Scheme.
The two-day conference aligns with the third anniversary of the introduction of National Education Policy -NEP 2020.

Notes:
Department of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare, Government of Meghalaya and Meghalaya Basin Management Agency (MBMA) has recently facilitated market linkages of over 1.3 tonnes of Pineapples to the Middle East.
The pineapples from Meghalaya are being sold across malls in Dubai, Kuwait and Sharjah.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) added two semiconductor design startups, Aheesa Digital Innovations, and Calligo Technologies, to the SemiconIndia futureDESIGN DLI scheme.
This was announced during the 2nd edition of the SemiconIndia 2023 conference in Gandhinagar. These startups/MSMEs will receive support under the scheme.

Notes:
Formula One racing driver Max Verstappen secured his eighth win in a row, one short of the all-time record, at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Verstappen won the race with Red Bull’s Sergio Perez clinching second position and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at third place.

Notes:
China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will hold their first joint air force training, called FALCON Shield-2023, in Xinjiang, China, in August.
The training seeks to strengthen practical exchanges and cooperation between the two air forces, fostering mutual understanding and trust.