Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Capital market regulator SEBI has launched operational guidelines on green bonds asking issuers to make additional disclosures along with its annual report and financial results.
The disclosures are pertaining to environmental sustainability objectives of such debt securities in the offer document. In addition, issuers of green bonds will have to disclose brief details of decision-making process followed for determining the eligibility of projects.

Notes:
The Everglades is a wetland ecosystem in the southern part of the US state of Florida. It spans across the southern half of a large drainage basin in the tropical region. This wetland ecosystem experiences fluctuating weather changes, habitat loss and environmental degradation.
A 35-year plan with an outlay of 10 billion USD is being implemented to restore this wetland. This is the world’s largest and most expensive ecological restoration project.

Notes:
The Yuva Sangam is an initiative which was launched to build close ties between the youth of the North East Region and rest of India under the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.
The Yuva Sangam registration portal was launched in New Delhi recently. Under the initiative over 20 thousand youth will travel across the country and gain opportunity of cross-cultural learning.

Notes:
The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India hiked the key policy rate, the Repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.50 per cent in a bid to control the retail inflation.
The RBI has increased the repo rate by a cumulative 250 basis points to 6.50 per cent since May this year. The RBI has projected GDP growth for the next fiscal (FY2024) at 6.4 per cent.

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:
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:
Hericium erinaceus, also known as lion’s mane mushroom, is an edible mushroom found in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Researchers have recently identified a new active compound in the lion’s mane mushroom. This compound is found to be capable of boosting nerve growth and enhancing the memory capacity. This may have a potential to counter Alzheimer’s disease.

Notes:
Skye Air, a Gurugram-based drone solutions provider, launched traffic management system for drones in India.
The software was launched in the presence of Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India Nitin Gadkari. It will allow drone operators to plan routes, make flight plans and assess risks before running drone-based operations in the country.

Notes:
IMF has again called for comprehensive reforms of China’s growth model saying that China’s potential growth has started falling.
This is IMF’s second warning in a week when it called for reforms to sustain growth highlighting the diminishing returns of China’s investment-led growth.

Notes:
China announced that i will begin work on its ambitious new railway line connecting Xinjiang and Tibet.
The railway line is also running close to the LAC and through the disputed region of Aksai Chin, according to the new railway plan. Aksai Chin remains a disputed area between India and China for a long time. The proposed railway line is considered as a threat to India’s sovereignty, despite claims from Beijing that the new construction is civilian in nature.