Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Union Finance Minister announced an initiative called MISHTI ‘Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes’.
Under the scheme, mangrove plantations will be taken up along the country’s coastline apart from salt pans, wherever feasible, through the convergence of the job guarantee scheme MGNREGS, the Compensatory Afforestation Fund, and other sources.

Notes:
The Indian Railways has been allocated a capital outlay of Rs 2.4 lakh crore in the Union Budget 2023-24.
This is the highest ever allocation to the national transporter. Last year, a gross budgetary support of Rs 1.37 lakh crore was allotted in fiscal 2022-23.It is estimated that there is a need to lay 1 lakh kilometres of tracks over the coming 25 years as more goods movement shifts from roads to railways.

Notes:
Equatorial Guinea has appointed Manuela Roka Botey as prime minister. She became the first woman in the country to hold the position. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, who has ruled the country since 1979, made the announcement.
Ms Rotey was previously the education minister and joined the government in 2020. She replaces former premier Francisco Pascual Obama Asue.

Notes:
Bihar Deputy Chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav inaugurated the MV Ganga Vihar at NIT Ghat in Bihar.
The floating restaurant operated by the Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC). The two-storied floating restaurant has a restaurant on the ground floor with a seating capacity of 48 people along with a VIP lounge and a private lounge on the top floor.

Notes:
Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) recently found 1,200-year-old idols in Nalanda in Bihar. They were found from a waterbody close to the ancient Nalanda University during desilting of a pond.
Nalanda Mahavihara is a world heritage site about 88 km from this place.  The idols were found during desilting under Bihar government’s ‘Jal-Jeevan-Hariyali’ project launched to protect and conserve water and the environment.

Notes:
Ministry of Textiles is implementing ‘Enhancing Circularity and Sustainability’ project in collaboration with United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP).
The main objective of the project is to minimize the negative environmental impacts of Indian Textile by promoting sustainable practices and mainstreaming knowledge on circular production based practices in the Textiles and Apparel sectors. Government also approved 20 strategic research projects in the areas of Specialty fibres and geo textiles.

Notes:
A set of new family laws, referred to as ‘Federal Personal Status Laws’, for non-Muslims residing in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) came into force.
These laws will apply to non-Muslim expatriates or foreigners living in UAE and cover various aspects of family law like marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance, wills, and paternity. The new reforms to UAE’s judicial systems originate from Abu Dhabi’s Civil Family Court System, which allows non-Muslim couples to divorce or marry without following the Sharia laws.

Notes:
The United States and the Philippines announced plans to expand America’s military presence in the Southeast Asian nation.
The countries decided to accelerate full implementation of their ‘Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA)’. As part of the agreement, the U.S. has allocated $82 million toward infrastructure improvements at five current EDCA sites. This will provide access to four more bases to the US.

Notes:
Indian Railways introduced Garvi Gujarat tour under Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat Scheme to showcase heritage of Gujarat.
This Bharat Gaurav Deluxe AC Tourist Train with 1st AC and 2nd AC Class will be operated for eight days inclusive tour. It can accommodate one hundred and 56 tourists onboard. It includes visit to prominent pilgrimage and heritage sites of Gujarat including the Statue of Unity, Champaner, Somnath, Dwarka, Nageshwar, Beyt Dwarka, Ahmedabad, Modhera and Patan.

Notes:
The Reserve bank of India (RBI) has recently announced regulatory measures on climate risks and sustainable finance.
The new guidelines focused on creating a broad framework for promoting the acceptance of green deposits, a disclosure framework on financial risks associated with the climate crisis and guidelines for climate scenario analysis and stress testing.