Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It is the highest authority responsible for coordinating, directing, and overseeing research and education related to agriculture.
The government has formed an 11-member high-level committee, led by Additional Secretary (DARE) and Secretary of ICAR, to propose measures for rationalizing and right-sizing ICAR.

Notes:
Italian authorities from the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage reported the discovery of an ancient cargo ship wreckage off the port in Civitavecchia, near Rome.
The ship, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century BC, contains hundreds of well-preserved Roman jars, known as amphorae, found using a remotely operated robot.

Notes:
India’s gross revenues from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) hit a three-month high to cross ₹1.65 lakh crore in July 2023. July’s collections were 2.2% higher than the previous month’s GST collection.
However, at 10.8%, it was the slowest uptick in collections since July 2021 compared to revenues from the same month last year.

Notes:
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), responsible for overseeing cybersecurity incidents in India, documented cyber incidents targeting government organizations or systems for the years 2018 to 2023 (up to June).
The reported incidents were 70,798 in 2018, 85,797 in 2019, 54,314 in 2020, 48,285 in 2021, 192,439 in 2022, and 112,474 in 2023 (up to June).

Notes:
China’s internet regulator recently released the draft of the “Guidelines for the Construction of Minor Mode of the Mobile Internet”.
It proposes regulations to restrict children’s smartphone usage to a maximum of two hours per day and mandated all tech companies to implement a “minor mode” with limitations.

Notes:
Port Moresby, the expansive capital of Papua New Guinea, is located to the north of Australia.
The Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri and Kolkata, which are on a mission in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region, reached Port Moresby with the aim of strengthening maritime collaboration and partnership with Papua New Guinea.

Notes:
China’s cyberspace watchdog has proposed plans to limit the usage of smartphones by children to no more than two hours a day and to require all technology companies to introduce a ‘minor mode’ to enable restrictions.
A draft “Guidelines for the Construction of Minor Mode of the Mobile Internet” is open for public comments. China is set to introduce some of the world’s most strict regulations for children in the usage of smartphones.

Notes:
In July, the United Nations food agency reported that the rice price index rose by 2.8%, reaching its highest level in nearly 12 years.
The increase was driven by strong demand and export restrictions imposed by India, affecting prices in key exporting countries, as indicated by the Food and Agriculture Organization’s All Rice Price Index.

Notes:
Parliamentary privilege grants specific rights to Members of Parliament, including freedom of expression during debates without the risk of court proceedings. If a breach of privilege is believed to have occurred, any member can raise a motion that will be referred to the Privileges Committee.
Recently, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has referred complaints concerning the privilege of the House against TMC’s Derek O’Brien and AAP’s Raghav Chadha to the privileges committee.

Notes:
The red admiral, a familiar butterfly in British and Irish gardens, is actually a migrant species from Europe and North Africa.
This year, experts have observed a higher number of red admirals staying in southern England during the winter, resulting in increased sightings.