Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Article 93 of the Indian Constitution mandates the election of the Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha.
The Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha is the second-highest ranking legislative official in the House of the People. The Supreme Court recently issued notices to the Centre and five states namely Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Jharkhand over the failure to elect a Deputy Speaker.

Notes:
The IT Department recently launched surveys at the BBC’s offices under Section 133A and other provisions of the IT Act, 1961.
The Act allows the IT Department to conduct surveys to gather hidden information. Under Section 133A of the IT Act, an authorized officer is allowed to enter any place of business or profession or charitable activity within their jurisdiction to verify accounting books and other documents as well as stocks, cash and other assets.

Notes:
Second Advance Estimates of production of major crops for agricultural year 2022-23 have been released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
As per Second Advance Estimates for 2022-23, Total Foodgrain production in the country is estimated at record 3235.54 lakh tonnes which is higher by 79.38 LMT as compared to previous year 2021-22.

Notes:
Spain Parliament recently passed a new law allowing gender self-determination. The new legislation that will allow anyone over 16 to change their legally registered gender.
It also eases abortion limits for those aged 16 and 17, and make the country the first in Europe to introduce paid menstrual leave. A judge will need to authorise the change for minors aged between 12 and 14, while those aged between 14 and 16 will need the consent of their parents or guardians.

Notes:
India and Fiji signed a Memorandum of Understanding on visa exemption for holders of diplomatic and official passports.
Under this agreement, diplomatic and official passport holders will be able to enter, transit, and stay in each other territories without a visa for a period not exceeding 90 days.

Notes:
A bipartisan resolution was introduced in the US Senate to recognise Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.
The resolution commends India for taking steps to defend itself against aggression and security threats from China.

Notes:
World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released the ‘Global Security Outlook Report 2023’ in collaboration with Accenture.
It warned that the cyber-attacks are expected to cause an unprecedented threat in the coming 2 years. The report also predicts catastrophic cyber events mainly due to the present geopolitical instability.

Notes:
Crimes against humanity are atrocities committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack targeting any civilian population. The term ‘crimes against humanity’ has been officially defined in the 1998 Rome Statute.
In a recent Security Conference, United States Vice President Kamala Harris says Russia committed ‘crimes against humanity’ in Ukraine.

Notes:
Debt-for-nature swaps are financial arrangements where a fraction of a developing country’s foreign debt is waived, and in return, the country makes investments in local environmental conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps have been implemented successfully in many countries to promote environmental conservation. However, they are not seen as a long-term solution since only small portion of the debt is waived off.

Notes:
The Vertiplane X3 drone was used to carry out a demonstration in Uttarakhand, where it transported 2 kg of anti-tuberculosis drugs from AIIMS Rishikesh to a district hospital in Tehri Garhwal.
The demonstration covered an aerial distance of around 40 km in just 30 minutes. The drone is a ‘made-in-India hybrid’ e-VTOL with a maximum speed of 120 kmph. It was developed by Tech-Eagle Innovations.