Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
India’s national accreditation system ranked fifth in the world in the Global Quality Infrastructure Index (GQII) 2021.
The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world on the basis of the quality infrastructure (QI). India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the 10th position, with the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at 21st position in the world.

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:
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:
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:
Sundarbans is a mangrove area in the delta formed by the confluence of Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It is the world’s largest mangrove delta, governed by the Governments of India and Bangladesh.
Wildlife enthusiasts spot 145 different species during the first Sundarban bird festival. Birds like Eurasian curlew, lesser sand plover and brown hawk owl were among the 5,065 birds that were spotted.

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:
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.

Notes:
Based on analysis of feedback received from the discussion paper on Climate Risk and Sustainable Finance, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) issued guidelines to regulated entities.
The guidelines consist of a broad framework for acceptance of green deposits, disclosure frameworks on climate-related financial risks and guidance on climate scenario analysis and stress testing.

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.