Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Quasicrystal is a substance that has atoms orderly arranged like a crystal but its atomic structure is more complex and does not repeat periodically in all directions. This unique complex pattern makes it different from a normal crystal.
Recently, a new type of quasicrystal was discovered in the north central Nebraska’s Sand Hills in the USA.  It had 12-fold symmetry. It may have been created during an accidental electrical discharge because of a downed power line or a lightning strike.

Notes:
India’s first “frozen-lake marathon” is going to be organised at Pangong Tso lake in the union territory of Ladakh.
This event will be held at an altitude of 13,862 feet and cover a distance of 21 kilometers. The marathon will start at Lukung and end at Maan village. The Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) will oversee the event. This marathon is called the ‘Last Run’ to highlight the issue of climate change.

Notes:
The Christ the Redeemer statue is a landmark statue located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Made of soapstone and reinforced concrete, this statue is an important symbol of Christianity and a renowned tourist destination.
The statue is recognized as one of the most iconic and celebrated works of art and engineering in history. A Photographer recently captured the exact moment when lightning struck Christ the Redeemer statue.

Notes:
The Emden Port is the western-most sea port in Germany’s coast. It is situated at the mouth of the Ems River into the North Sea.
The Pakistan government is providing military supplies to Ukraine via the Emden Port. It has recently dispatched rocket supplies from the Karachi port for Ukraine via the German port. More than 10,000 rockets have been shipped via this route to be used in Grad multi-barrel rocket launchers. Ukraine is helping Pakistan to upgrade its Mi-17 helicopters.

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:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched its second developmental flight of a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle — SSLV-D2.
It placed three satellites into a 450 km-circular orbit, which are ISRO’s Earth Observation Satellite – EOS 07, U.S.-based firm Antaris’ Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up SpaceKidz’s AzaadiSAT-2.

Notes:
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the National Philatelic Exhibition- AMRITPEX in New Delhi. Philately is the collection and study of postage stamps.
The event displays more than 20,000 exhibits under 13 competitive categories and a special section on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Department of Posts also released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Notes:
MobiKwik has become the first fintech app to support RuPay Credit Cards on UPI. The facility will help millions of customers who use UPI for their daily transactions.
With RuPay Credit Cards now linked directly to UPI IDs, customers can easily make payments to merchants by scanning the UPI QR code and using UPI PIN for payment authentication.

Notes:
The 3rd ASEAN Digital Ministers (ADGMIN) meeting with India was held on a virtual platform. India and Philippines co-chaired the meeting and adopted India-ASEAN Digital Work Plan 2023.
In 2022, ASEAN India Friendship Year was celebrated, commemorating 30th anniversary of establishment of dialogue relations with ASEAN. It was held under the theme ‘Synergy Towards a Sustainable Digital Future’.

Notes:
World Government Summit 2023 is being held in Dubai. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, honoured the winners of the Global Government Excellence Award.
The Award recognises exceptional government initiatives, practices and officials from around the world. Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk will take centre stage on the final day of the World Government Summit in Dubai.