Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched phase 2 of the ‘Pudumai Penn’ scheme, a scholarship scheme for girl students, in Chennai.
The scheme involves the distribution of a scholarship amount of ₹1,000 per month to girl students pursuing their higher studies after completing their schooling at a government school. The scholarship is provided through the Social Welfare Department.

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:
Nigeria has recently announced demonetization to address corruption and bring down inflation. Its purpose is to bring back most of the money that is in circulation outside the banking system and to minimize money laundering.
Nigerians are required to turn in their old 1,000, 500 and 200 naira banknotes as part of this initiative in return for new naira notes. With the African country being largely dependent on cash, the shortage of new naira notes is causing chaos in Nigeria.

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:
New Zealand’s Prime Minister declared a State of Emergency after Cyclone Gabrielle. The Cyclone, which battered the North Island, is considered as a weather event not seen in a generation.
The state of emergency was declared only the third in New Zealand’s history. At least three people have died and about a third of the country’s population of five million live in affected areas.

Notes:
The Draft Geo-heritage Sites and Geo-relics (Preservation and Maintenance) Bill was released recently by Ministry of Mines for public suggestions.
This proposed legislation has provisions concerning the declaration, preservation, protection and maintenance of geo-heritage sites and geo-relics of national importance. Its objective is to promote research, education and awareness about these sites.

Notes:
Coradion calendula is a new species of butterfly fish belonging to the genus Coradion. It was recently discovered in Australian waters.
Coradion calendula has characteristics that are similar to those of Coradion chrysozonus. Its habitat spans from the North West Shelf east to the northern Cape York Peninsula, close to the Torres Strait. It is likely to feed on sponge tissue and benthic invertebrates.

Notes:
Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the construction of the Shinku La Tunnel. The proposed tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity in Ladakh.
This is expected to be a major asset for tourism and other economic activities in the region. It will also benefit the economy of the Zanskar Valley. Covering a distance of 4.1 km, it will be constructed at an altitude of 16,580 feet by the Border Roads Organization (BRO). It is expected to be the world’s highest tunnel.

Notes:
The International Seabed Authority is an organization of 167 countries and the European Union based in Kingston, Jamaica.
It is an intergovernmental organization that was established under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and its 1994 Agreement on Implementation. The Authority recently announced that Minerals in Indian Ocean can turn India self-sufficient in nickel and cobalt.

Notes:
‘Technotex 2023: Envisioning Indian Technical Textiles at 2047’ is the flagship event of the Ministry of Textiles.
It will be organised in Mumbai in collaboration with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Its main purpose is to promote textiles that are specifically designed for specific purposes.