Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), released a new mobile application ‘SAMUDRA’ – Smart Access to Marine Users for Ocean Data Resources and Advisories.
It aims to offer comprehensive information on all ocean related services, useful for seafarers and the fishing community.

Notes:
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the ‘Graphene-Aurora program’ at Kochi, Kerala.
The program shall be implemented by Digital University Kerala with joint funding from Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India and Government of Kerala and Industry partners, with the total budget outlay of Rs 94.85 Crore.

Notes:
Indonesia is all set to launch its own Golden Visa programme by the end of 2023. The popular tourist destination is working to change its immigration policy in order to promote foreign investment and attract international entrepreneurial and business talent.
As per the initial announcement, the new residency-by-investment visa was slated to be available by June 2023.Last year, the country announced a new ‘second home visa’ of five years and 10 years.

Notes:
In March 2022, astronomers announced the discovery of the farthest known star via an image taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.
They named it Earendel, after the old English name for “morning star”. Recently, James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-infrared Camera (NIRCam) and its NIRSpec spectrometer have taken a look at the same star and revealed that it is a hydrogen-burning star. Compared to the Sun, it’s twice as hot and a million times more luminous.

Notes:
India’s first long-range revolver, Prabal has been recently launched at the Small Arms Factory (SAF). It was manufactured by state-owned enterprise Advanced Weapons and Equipment India (AWEIL).
The revolver has a range of 50 metres, which is double the range of other revolvers in the market. It is the first in the country that has side wing cylinder, which makes trigger pull easy. ‘Prabal’ is made with metal injection mould technology.

Notes:
Axis Bank has announced the introduction of two lending products to small business customers which will be processed through Pilot for Public Tech Platform for Frictionless Credit (PTPFC) platform.
PTPFC was announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to facilitate quick appraisal and disbursal of credit. The two products announced by the Axis Bank are Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and unsecured MSME loans.

Notes:
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said that 79 per cent of people in Afghanistan lack sufficient access to water for essential needs like drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing.
The water crisis in Afghanistan is further enhanced by various challenges, particularly the most severe drought in 30 years, a deepening economic turmoil, and the enduring effects of forty years of warfare.

Notes:
To mark the 200th birth anniversary of Arya Samaj founder Dayanand Saraswati this year, the government has formed a high-level committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Among its members are a host of Union ministers, state governors, senior officials from various departments and office-bearers of the Arya Samaj organisation. He was born on 12th February 1824.

Notes:
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the Rs 2,400-crore Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) as part of the second phase of ‘Malinya Muktham Navakeralam’ campaign.
According to certain reports, at least 90 per cent of the state’s population will be urbanised by 2035. State Industries Ministry unveiled a new design for material collection facilities (MCFs) and resource recovery facilities (RRFs).

Notes:
The North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme” (NESIDS) is a Central Sector Scheme on launched in 2017, under which 100% centrally funding is provided to the State Governments of North Eastern Region for the projects of physical infrastructure.
Recently, the continuation of the NESIDS with an approved by the cabinet, for the period from 2022-23 till 2025-26 at an outlay of Rs.8139.50 crore.