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:
Under ‘Mukhyamantri Ladli Behna Yojana’, underprivileged women between 23 and 60 years were eligible for ₹1,000 every month.
However, after distributing two instalments the government decided that those completing 21 years from January this year would also be included. They should be married and fulfil the other existing eligibility criteria.

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:
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:
The LEI (Legal Entity Identifier) is a unique 20-character code that serves as a global identifier for legal entities involved in financial transactions. It aims to create a reference data system for uniquely identifying entities across jurisdictions.
The capital market regulator – Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has mandated that all non-individual Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) must provide their Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) details in the common application form used for registration, KYC, and account opening.

Notes:
The Kerala state government is set to roll out a unique scheme to provide financial support to first-time overseas emigrants from Kerala.
Titled ‘Shubhayatra’, the project envisages creating a positive and productive migration ecosystem by providing a financial assistance of up to ₹2 lakh with a tax holiday for six months and interest subvention to meet the incidental expense of eligible candidates.

Notes:
The Free Movement Regime (FMR) along the India-Myanmar border has complicated the volatile situation in Manipur due to migration of tribal Kuki-Chin people from Myanmar.
The border between India and Myanmar runs for 1,643 km in the four states of Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh. The FMR allows tribes living along the border to travel up to 16 km inside the other country without a visa.

Notes:
The AMC Repo Clearing Limited (ARCL) and Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) were inaugurated by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The CDMDF was announced in the 2021-22 Union Budget to enhance liquidity in the Corporate Bond market during stressed and normal times.

Notes:
The Central African Republic, a land locked country in African continent, has conducted a voting in a referendum for a new constitution. This comes after the country witnessing multiple coups.
In 2020, Mr. Touadera secured a second term as President of the country until 2025. If the referendum is passed, it would allow the existing President for a third term.

Notes:
After a fatal military drill accident resulting in four deaths, Australia has decided to suspend the operation of its Taipan helicopter fleet.
During the Talisman Sabre exercise, in which 30,000 military personnel from countries like Fiji, France, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany were involved, the helicopter was taking part.