Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
US Federal Reserve, the country’s central bank recently introduced Wall Street bank stress-test scenarios.
The central bank will examine the ability of the 23 biggest US lenders to withstand crisis conditions without degrading their capital. For the first time, the so-called stress test will feature an ‘exploratory market shock’ to the trading books of the largest and most complex banks.

Notes:
PhonePe recently became the first Indian fintech company to enable payments abroad. It allows international transactions through Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
With this, Indian travellers can make UPI transactions to foreign merchants using PhonePe platform. Cross-border transaction facility by PhonePe will support all international outlets in UAE, Singapore, Nepal, Bhutan and Mauritius having local QR Code.

Notes:
The government of Rajasthan has allocated Rs 13,000 crore to implement ‘Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project’ during the recent state budget.
The objective of the Project is to harvest the surplus water collected during the rainy season in the Southern Rajasthan Rivers like Chambal and its tributaries like Kunnu, Parvati, and Kalisindh and transfer it to south- eastern districts.

Notes:
Article 153 of the Indian Constitution deals with the appointment of Governors for each state in India.
President of India Droupadi Murmu appointed governors in 12 states and a Union Territory while accepting the resignation of two. Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais is now Governor of Maharashtra and Arunachal Pradesh governor B D Mishra has been appointed as L-G of Ladakh.

Notes:
World Radio Day is observed on February 13 to raise global awareness about the importance of radio as a medium of mass communication.
UNESCO declared this day to commemorate the establishment of the United Nations Radio in 1946. The theme for the year 2023 is ‘Radio and Peace’. It highlights the radio’s role as an independent medium of peacemaking. The subthemes for this day are ‘Support for Independent Radio’ and ‘Radio in Conflict Prevention and Peace-building’.

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. ​​

Notes:
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope team has been selected to receive the ‘2023 John L. Jack Swigert, Jr.’ Award for Space Exploration.
It is a prestigious award from the Space Foundation. This annual award honors a space agency, company, or consortium of organizations in the realm of space exploration and discovery.

Notes:
According to a new forecast released by the International Energy Agency, Asia will use half of the world’s electricity by 2025, for the first time.
As per the annual report, China will be consuming more electricity than the European Union, United States and India combined. Africa, which is home to almost a fifth of world’s nearly 8 billion inhabitants, will account for just 3% of global electricity consumption in 2025.

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:
Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Singh Thakur flagged off the Formula E Championship in Hyderabad.
Hyderabad city hosts India’s first ever Formula E-race Hyderabad E-Prix at the ‘Hyderabad Street Circuit’ on the banks of Hussain Sagar Lake. This is also the first motorsport event in the country in the last 10 years. Hyderabad is the 27th city in the world to host the race as non-carbon emission event.