Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
le Clot is an ancient crater located within the Domaine du Meteore vineyard in France. It measures 220 meters in diameter and 30 meters in depth.
This is a major discovery since finding of small crater is rare. Currently, only 3 structures have been recorded -one in France and two in Germany. The presence of the le Clot was confirmed after finding the presence of iron oxide spherules, shock microdiamonds, and a magnetic low within the crater.

Notes:
Mount Mayon, a strato-volcano located in the Bicol province of the Philippines, is famous for its symmetrical and perfectly conical shape.
It is a popular tourist attraction and is considered sacred in Philippine folklore. It is the centrepiece of the Albay Biosphere Reserve and is currently being considered for nomination as a World Heritage Site.

Notes:
Mad cow disease, also known as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), is a fatal and progressive disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle.
Brazil, one of the world’s largest beef exporters, has temporarily suspended its beef exports to China after a confirmed case of mad cow disease.

Notes:
The Bhutan National Digital Identity (NDI) mobile wallet has been launched in Bhutan. During its launch, Bhutan’s Crown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck became the country’s first digital citizen.
This makes Bhutan government the first in the world to create a national digital identity system in a self-sovereign framework. Its aim is to provide citizens and residents with secure and verifiable identity credentials.

Notes:
The Institute for Competitiveness released the second edition of the Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Index 2022. It measures the literacy of children below the age of 10.
The index measures states based on five key parameters including educational infrastructure, access to education, basic health, learning outcomes, and governance. It ranked West Bengal as the top performer and Uttar Pradesh as the lowest among large state category.

Notes:
Russia recently launched an uncrewed Soyuz spaceflight named Soyuz MS-23. The purpose of this mission is to replace the Soyuz MS spacecraft currently docked at the International Space Station. The Soyuz MS-22 capsule’s cooling system was found to be leaking. The new spacecraft will provide a safe and reliable means of transportation for future missions to and from the space station. The mission also includes the repairing of the leaking capsule.

Notes:
The Urban 20 (U20) Engagement Group held its inaugural event in Ahmedabad, attended by more than 70 delegates from 42 cities. This is the largest recorded attendance since the inception of U20.
The U20 meeting focused on the role of cities in economic prosperity and ecological harmony. The meeting aimed to equip city governments with on-ground solutions to close the gap between policy and practice.

Notes:
The Irinjadappilly Sree Krishna Temple in Kerala’s Thrissur district has made history by being the first temple in India to use a mechanical, lifelike elephant for its rituals, instead of a live one.
Named ‘Irinjadappilly Raman’, the robotic elephant was gifted to the temple by animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. It is used to promote cruelty-free ceremonies and support the rehabilitation and life of real elephants in forests.

Notes:
Nepal is planning to develop the Phukot Karnali Hydropower Project, a semi-reservoir hydropower project with a capacity of 480 MW.
It is to be built through collaboration between India’s National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Nepal’s Vidyut Utpadan Company Ltd (VUCL). The surplus electricity from this hydroelectric project will be exported to India and Nepal will get 21.9% free energy monthly from the project.

Notes:
New Delhi-based non-profit Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) recently announced the Annual Green School Awards.
The schools underwent an audit process to assess their resource management and environment-friendly practices on campus. Nineteen schools were awarded the topmost Annual Green School Awards. Additionally, the programme recognized Himachal Pradesh as the Best Green State.