Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Australian men’s T20 captain Aaron Finch announced his retirement from international cricket. The 36-year-old led Australia to its maiden T20 World Cup victory in 2021.
Aaron Finch has captained the team in 76 of the 103 T20 internationals he has played since debuting against England in 2011. He retired as Australia’s one-day skipper last September.

Notes:
‘World Pulses Day’ is observed on February 10 to raise global awareness about the importance of pulses as a stable global food source that delivers nutritional and environmental security across the world.
The theme for World Pulses Day 2023 is ‘Pulses for a Sustainable Future’.

Notes:
The earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria has badly damaged Gaziantep Castle, a historic site and tourist attraction in south-eastern Turkey.
The castle collapsed during the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which hit Turkey. According to archaeological excavations, the castle was first built as a watchtower in the Roman period in the second and third centuries C.E. and expanded over time. Most recently, it served as ‘Gaziantep Defense and Heroism Panoramic Museum’.

Notes:
The state government of Gujarat has recently announced a 100 percent increase in Annual Statement of Rates.
The Annual Statement of Rate (ASR), also known as the Jantri rate, is the minimum rate set by state governments for registering real estate property when it changes ownership. These rates differ between cities and places based on the type, location, and size of the property.

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:
Sangam age was believed to be between 300 BCE to 300 CE. As per the recent findings by the Archaeological Survey of India at Keeladi, the Sangam age has been pushed to 800 BCE.
Keeldai is a small village along the Vaigai River, about 13 km from Madurai, Tamil Nadu. The eport is based on the archaeological findings from the first two phases of excavation carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India.

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:
Snapdragon Satellite, which was launched recently, is the world’s first ‘satellite-based, two-way capable messaging solution’.
The solution works for smart-phones developed by Qualcomm in partnership with Iridium Inc. The technology was initially introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2023. On a Snapdragon Satellite, emergency messaging will be activated on the next-gen smart-phones.

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:
Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India has informed that the Bima Sugam portal will be an insurance market infrastructure.
Insurers, distribution networks and the policy holders can virtually meet across the digital platform. The portal is expected to improve accessibility and ease of insurance purchase to policyholders.