Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
In Chile, at least 23 people were killed in devastating forest fires which occurred after a blistering heat wave in the central part of the country.
The state of emergency has been extended in the South American country. According to an official briefing on Saturday at least 979 people have been affected following the calamity.

Notes:
Union Rural Development Minister Giriraj Singh recently inaugurated Mission Antyodaya Survey (MAS) 2022-23.
The objectives of the scheme are- conducting an annual survey at the Gram Panchayat level to monitor the progress in the development process in rural areas, Panchayat wise ranking and making Gap report, which serves as an important input for the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

Notes:
QR code-based coin vending machine or QCVM has been announced as a part of the recently concluded RBI Monetary policy.
QCVM is intended to dispense coins similar to how ATMs dispense currency notes. Coins can be withdrawn using the UPI QR code in designated vending machines. RBI plans to launch the product in 19 locations across 12 cities.

Notes:
Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It is the world’s largest mangrove delta, governed by the Governments of India and Bangladesh.
Wildlife enthusiasts spot 145 different species during the first Sundarban bird festival. Birds like Eurasian curlew, lesser sand plover and brown hawk owl were among the 5,065 birds that were spotted.

Notes:
The Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill was released recently by Ministry of Mines for public suggestions.
This proposed legislation has provisions concerning the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance. Its objective is to promote research, education and awareness about these sites.

Notes:
Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a viral illness that affects cattle, caused by the lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) of the Capripoxvirus genus.
This disease is characterized by the formation of nodules or lumps on the skin, accompanied by fever and other symptoms. It causes reduced milk production, weight loss, damage to hides and welfare issues.

Notes:
The JANUS-1 Satellite is the world’s first cloud-built demonstration satellite. It was fully conceived, designed, and manufactured with Antaris’ end-to-end cloud platform.
This satellite was successfully launched recently with the help of the SSLV-D2 rocket developed by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

Notes:
eSanjeevani, also known as National Teleconsultation Service, is a government initiative that provides online outpatient doctor (OPD) consultation service to citizens.
This first-of-its-kind scheme was launched in 2019 and it is being implemented by the Union Health Ministry. The eSanjeevani OPD portal and system was developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The platform recently registered a new record by delivering teleconsultation services to 10 crore beneficiaries.

Notes:
The Best Tourism Village Competition was launched recently by the Union Ministry of Tourism. A portal related to the same was also launched along with the Rural Tourism Portal and the Global Tourism Investor Summit 2023 portal.
The Competition to recognize the best tourism village from across India. It will be organized in 3 stages. It will seek entries from district level, state level and the national level. The villages will be evaluated based on Sustainable Development Goals.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India released the Draft Reserve Bank of India (Government Securities Lending) Directions, 2023.
These draft norms seek to regulate the lending and borrowing of government securities (G-secs) in the securities lending market.  According to the draft norms, the Government Securities Lending (GSL) transactions can be done for a minimum duration of 1 day and a maximum duration of 90 days.