Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has badly damaged Gaziantep Castle, a historic site and tourist attraction in south-eastern Turkey.
The castle collapsed during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which hit Turkey. According to archaeological excavations, the castle was first built as a watchtower in the Roman period in the second and third centuries C.E. and expanded over time. Most recently, it served as ‘Gaziantep Defense and Heroism Panoramic Museum’.

Notes:
The third edition of Khelo India Winter Games recently kicked off at Gulmarg, in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Over 1500 sportspersons from across the country will participate in nine different winter sports disciplines. Jammu and Kashmir holds the distinction to have topped in both the previous editions of the Khelo India Winter Games held so far.

Notes:
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is the latest innovation in the field of medicine, to treat cancer.
Rather than relying on drugs, like chemotherapy or immunotherapy, the CAR T cell therapy treatments utilise a patient’s own cells that have been altered in a lab to stimulate T-cells and attack tumour cells. Currently, CAR T-cell therapy has received clearance for treating leukemia and lymphoma types of cancer.

Notes:
Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilita stepped down from her position citing a lack of support in the country.
Moldova is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe and a former Soviet Republic. The pro-Western government had been in power for just 18 months. Moldova’s President Maia Sandu accepted Gavrilita’s resignation.

Notes:
The annual rate of inflation based on all India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is 4.73% (Provisional) for the month of January, 2023 against 4.95% recorded in December 2022.
Decline in the rate of inflation is primarily contributed by mineral oils, chemicals and chemical products, textiles, crude petroleum and natural gas, textiles, and food products. DPIIT releases index numbers of wholesale price in India on monthly basis.

Notes:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts Financial Literacy Week (FLW) every year since 2016 to propagate financial education messages.
The theme for this year’s Financial Literacy Week to be observed during February 13 – 17, 2023 is ‘Good Financial Behaviour, Your Saviour’, with emphasis on ‘Saving, planning, and budgeting’ and ‘Prudent use of digital financial services’.

Notes:
The government has launched a mobile app namely ‘Khanan Prahari’ and a web app Coal Mine Surveillance and Management System (CMSMS) for reporting unauthorized coal mining activities.
The objective of the CMSMS application was to detect participation against illegal mining by receipt of citizen’s complaints through mobile app.

Notes:
New Zealand’s Prime Minister declared a State of Emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle. The Cyclone, which battered the North Island, is considered as a weather event not seen in a generation.
The state of emergency was declared only the third in New Zealand’s history. At least three people have died and about a third of the country’s population of five million live in affected areas.

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 Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures for Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023 was approved by the state government recently.
The objective of this ordinance is to prevent offences that adversely affect the process of competitive examinations. The anti-cheating law has provisions providing hefty fines of up to Rs.10 crores and life imprisonment for the guilty.