Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

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 single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars is called as ‘Formula E’. Jake Dennis became the first British driver to win the all-electric Formula E world championship when he finished second for Avalanche Andretti in the London E-prix.
Formula E’s first season was in 2014-15 and Dennis is the eighth driver to take the title with France’s Jean-Eric Vergne the only double champion.

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.

Notes:
Singapore has hanged a 45-year-old woman who was caught with 31 grams of heroin. This is the first time the city-state has executed a woman in nearly 20 years.
Saridewi Binte Djamani was hanged after being convicted of trafficking “not less than 30.72 grams” of the drug in 2018.

Notes:
The National Health Authority has introduced the 100 Microsites Project, aiming to expedite the adoption of digital health services nationwide.
These microsites will consist of small and mid-sized health facilities that will be fully aligned with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission standards.

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:
The country’s per capita income is likely to grow by close to 70 per cent to USD 4,000 by fiscal 2030 from USD 2,450 in fiscal 2023.
This will help the country to become a middle-income economy with USD 6-trillion GDP. Per capita income/GDP has risen from USD 460 in fiscal 2001 to USD 1,413 in fiscal 2011 and to USD 2,150 in fiscal 2021. The biggest growth driver will be external trade, followed by household consumption.

Notes:
To improve the collection of sowing data, the government has initiated a pilot project called Digital Crop Survey (DCS) in 12 states starting from the Kharif season of 2023.
The DCS reference application uses technologies like GIS and GPS, and aims to ensure accurate crop area estimation and support farmers with solutions. It has been created as a publicly available open-source and interoperable tool, adhering to open standards.

Notes:
UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) is a health problem globally, including India, and is particularly common in females, especially during pregnancy.
The Point-Of-Care Testing (POCT) prototype developed at IIT Guwahati, is a photodetector that detects and quantifies a UTI-causing bacteria called ‘Klebsiella pneumoniae’ within five minutes from a patient’s urine sample.