Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
The Quad Cyber Challenge was launched by the QUAD member states (Australia, India, Japan, and the United States) to enhance the cyber security within their individual territories.
This campaigns calls on Internet users across the Indo-Pacific region and other places to join the pledge to practice safe and responsible cyber habits.

Notes:
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a union of six Arab states namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Indian Government revealed that around half of India’s migrant population works in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Most of the migrants are semi-skilled or unskilled workers, while 20-23% are white-collar professionals such as doctors, engineers, architects, chartered accountants, and bankers.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of 130 million USD for the implementation of the Himachal Pradesh Subtropical Horticulture, Irrigation, and Value Addition Project.
The purpose of this project is to assist at least 15,000 farm households to make them more resilient to climate change through improved irrigation and water management.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered the oldest known stone tools in Kenya, dating back 2.9 million years, known as Oldowan toolkit.
This toolkit included hammer-stones, cores and flakes. It is a critical invention for early human ancestors that expanded across Africa and China. The discovery provides a glimpse of importance of stone technology in adapting to different environments.

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:
The Punjab Cabinet has approved a new policy for industries and the electric vehicles effective from October 17, 2022, for a period of five years.
The industrial policy of the state focuses particularly on the three key sectors – Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), infrastructure and power. Under the new policy, the state will develop 15 industrial parks covering general and sector specific requirements of various industrial sectors and 20 rural clusters across the state.

Notes:
Smart Cities Mission is the Indian Government’s urban renewal program that seeks to create sustainable and citizen-centric smart cities.
It is being implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing Urban Affairs in collaboration with the state governments. As many as 22 smart cities are expected to complete all projects under the Smart Cities Mission. The remaining 78 smart cities under this mission are expected to complete their projects in the next 3 to 4 months.

Notes:
Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah is an Arabic academy that exclusively caters to the education of children belonging to the Dawoodi Bohra community.
Prime Minister Modi recently inaugurated a new Mumbai campus of the Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah. It is the second such campus in India. The first campus was set up in 1810 in Surat.

Notes:
India has planned to launch a global initiative called the Millet International Initiative for Research and Awareness (MIIRA) to promote the consumption and production of millets.
MIIRA will coordinate international millet research programs and support research on millet crops. This global initiative will also raise awareness and promote millet consumption. India will provide the initial funding, while other G20 countries will contribute to the budget.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Mines announced that lithium reserves have been found in Jammu and Kashmir, a first in the country.
The Geological Survey of India established 5.9 million tonnes of inferred lithium resources in the Salal-Haimana area of Reasi District in Jammu and Kashmir. This could boost the manufacturing of rechargeable batteries for electric cars, smartphones, and laptops and cut India’s dependence on lithium imports. ​​