Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
OpenAI, Microsoft, Google, and Anthropic have teamed up to create the Frontier Model Forum, aiming to regulate the development of large machine learning models, particularly “frontier AI models” that surpass current advanced capabilities.
These foundation models pose potential risks to public safety, and the forum will focus on ensuring their safe and responsible development, collaborating with policymakers, academics, and companies to advance AI safety research and establish best practices for deploying such models.

Notes:
For the first time, India is hosting the Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Greater Noida. It was inaugurated recently by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs.
The international event will see the participation of more than 30 Indian weightlifters, including many Khelo India Athletes.

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.

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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:
Recently, the Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have entered into an agreement, securing a USD 200 million loan as extra funding for the existing Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project.
The loan aims to extend water supply and sanitation systems, boost urban resilience, and preserve the heritage in chosen towns.

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:
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.

Notes:
‘National Moth Week’ is observed across the country during July 22 to July 28. It encourages scientists and non-scientists to participate in surveys of moths.
A total of 26 species of moths were observed across the Nilgiris by students in Udhagamandalam throughout the National Moth Week. A total of 146 moths have been recorded in the Nilgiris over the years.

Notes:
The Income-tax Department announced that there is a surge in filing of Income-tax Returns (ITRs), resulting in a new record of ITRs filed.
The total number of ITRs for AY 2023-24 filed till 31st July, 2023 are more than 6.77 crore, which is 16.1% more than the total ITRs for AY 2022-23 (5.83 crore) filed till 31st July 2022. Over 64.33 lakh ITRs were filed on a single day-on 31st July, 2023.

Notes:
The Rohini Commission, constituted to examine the sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), has submitted its report to President Droupadi Murmu after 13 extensions.
The Commission for Other Backward Classes was appointed to examine the sub-categorisation in the Central List of OBCs. Justice G Rohini, a retired chief justice of the Delhi High Court is its chairperson.