Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The inaugural ceremony of the first Permanent Aadhaar Enrolment Centre (PAEC) for the Army took place at 1 Central Base Post Office (CBPO) in New Delhi.
The PAEC is set up to provide convenient Aadhaar services, including enrolment and updates, for both Defence and civilian personnel of the tri-services, as well as their dependents. These services will be accessible through their Field Post Offices (FPO) at 48 designated locations across the country. The establishment of PAEC services is planned at all Command HQs, Corps HQs, and selected FPOs.

Notes:
The International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) – ‘Bharat Mandapam’ was inaugurated recently by Prime Minister Modi.  The IECC project is a national initiative aimed at modernizing and upgrading the obsolete facilities at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Anubhava Mantapa was an academy of saints and philosophers of the ‘Lingayath’s’ faith in the 12th century. It was founded by Basava, also called Basaveshwara. This is the inspiration behind the name ‘Bharat Mandapam’

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:
Union government said that India had seen no deaths due to manual scavenging in the last five years, as per the data submitted by the Social Justice Ministry.
It also added that 330 people had died while being engaged in cleaning sewers and septic tanks. Social Justice Ministry says manual scavenging no longer practised in India; Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Bihar among States with all districts reporting free status.

Notes:
West Bengal, which is home to about 40% of mangrove forests in India, announced the setting up of a ‘Mangrove Cell’ in the State, on the occasion of the International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem.
This platform will bring continuity to the efforts of State government in mangrove management. The Cell has an annual action plan for the plantation of mangroves and it will look at maintenance and coordinate with NGOs.

Notes:
The government has said that integration of child helpline with Emergency Response Support System, ERSS -112 has been completed in nine States in the first phase.
These States are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Ladakh, Puducherry, and Mizoram. A 24×7 dedicated WCD Control Room is set up for Child Helpline in each State and Union Territory and integrated with ERSS-112.

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:
The Global ESG Conclave 2.0, organised by Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India was held in Dubai.
The sessions were aimed to shed light on integrating Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into strategic business decisions and quantifying their impact on financial infrastructure and sustainability.

Notes:
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the government has decided to enable listed and unlisted domestic companies to directly list their equity shares on the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at Ahmedabad.
The decision will facilitate access to global capital and result in a better valuation of the Indian companies. The Finance Minister also launched Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF) and AMC Repo Clearing Ltd (ARCL).

Notes:
The capital markets regulator – SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) has released the guidelines for the Corporate Debt Market Development Fund (CDMDF).
The fund’s purpose is to serve as a backstop facility, facilitating the purchase of investment-grade corporate debt securities during times of market stress, thereby boosting confidence among participants in the corporate debt market.