Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
As per Home Ministry data, 506.241 kg heroin was seized from Punjab in 2020, 485.581 kg in 2021, 320.884 in 2022 and 248.103 kg till June 30 this year.
Over the last three years, the Border Security Force (BSF) has confiscated the most heroin in Punjab and Rajasthan, and the most ‘ganja’ in Tripura and West Bengal.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia issued nearly USD 9.6 billion in local sukuk following early redemptions. The Sukuk that underwent early redemption were originally scheduled to mature in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The buyback represents the largest early purchase transaction arranged by National Debt Management Center (NDMC).

Notes:
A first-of-its-kind global summit on Traditional Medicine, organised by the World Health Organization (WHO) and co-hosted by the Ministry of Ayush, took place at Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
This exhibition serves as a comprehensive display of Traditional Medicine worldwide and will showcase the interconnectedness of Traditional Medicine with the natural environment in the form of ‘Kalpavriksha’.

Notes:
The Indian Army has dedicated a 115 Feet Long Bridge to Danna, the Last Village at the Line of Control (LoC) in Machhal Sector, Kupwara District, of Jammu and Kashmir.
The 115 feet long Bridge has been named as Bhagat Bridge in memory of Late Major Bhagat Singh, Veer Chakra, who laid down his life defending this sector in the 1965 war. Danna Village is also popularly known as Bhagat Village.

Notes:
The Election Commissioner of India, Arun Goel, has participated in a significant international conference focused on ‘Preserving Information Integrity and Public Trust in Elections’.
The conference held in Brasilia, Brazil was hosted by the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and Tribunal Superior Eleitoral, Brazil.

Notes:
The state government of Odisha has recently withdrawn its earlier order issued on August 11, 2023. The earlier order stated that ‘deemed forests’ as a category would cease to exist under the recently amended Forest Conservation Act 2023. The state government has put the decision on hold till issuance of final guidelines by the forest ministry. Deemed forest is land which appears to be a forest but is not notified as forest land by the Centre or the state government.

Notes:
Central Water Commission (CWC) launched the mobile application, “FloodWatch” with the aim of using mobile phones to disseminate information related to the flood situation and forecasts up to 7 days on a real-time basis to the public.
The in-house developed app has readable and audio broadcast and all the information is available in English and Hindi. Key feature of the app includes real-time flood monitoring where users can check up-to-date flood situation throughout the country.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) launched a Centralised Web Portal UDGAM (Unclaimed Deposits – Gateway to Access inforMation).
The launch of the web portal will aid users to identify their unclaimed deposits/ accounts and enable them to either claim the deposit amount or make their deposit accounts operative at their respective banks.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal unveiled a vision for India’s maritime sector, outlining key initiatives at the 19th Maritime States Development Council meeting in Kevadia, Gujarat.
Global Maritime India Summit 2023 is scheduled to be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from 17th-19th October 2023.

Notes:
The New Development Bank (NDB) founded by the BRICS countries is planning to issue its first Indian rupee bond by October 2023. This was mentioned by the Bank’s chief operating officer ahead of the BRICS 2023 Summit in Johannesburg.
The New Development Bank (NDB) issued its first rand bond in South Africa recently. NDB is headquartered in Shanghai, China.