Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Kuno National Park is a wildlife sanctuary and national park located in Madhya Pradesh. It is named after the Kuno River and was initially established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary. In 2018, it was granted national park status.
As part of the Cheetah Reintroduction Project, 12 more cheetahs were released into the Kuno National Park, bringing the total number of cheetahs to 20.

Notes:
Debt-for-nature swaps are financial arrangements where a fraction of a developing country’s foreign debt is waived, and in return, the country makes investments in local environmental conservation. Debt-for-nature swaps have been implemented successfully in many countries to promote environmental conservation. However, they are not seen as a long-term solution since only small portion of the debt is waived off.

Notes:
India’s power regulator has approved a proposal to start a separate spot market segment for ‘expensive’ power, according to an order given to the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX).
The approval from the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), given to the country’s largest spot power market, is for electricity derived from costlier sources of imported coal and gas, as well as battery storage.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh cabinet has decided to close all the bars operating in the state, and the liquor shops only will be allowed to sell liquor to the customers at the shop.
‘Ahatas’, an area attached to a liquor shop for people to drink and shop bars have been closed under the new excise policy. As per the policy, distance of liquor shops from educational institutions has also been increased from the earlier 50 to 100 meters.

Notes:
The Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has been recently launched at Pyongyang International Airport, in North Korea.
South Korea alleged that North Korea could test-fire intercontinental ballistic missiles on a lower, longer trajectory and conduct its seventh nuclear test this year. North Korea has so far conducted ICBM tests only on lofted trajectories.

Notes:
Rann Utsav was conceptualised as a three-day festival, which progressively evolved into a 100-day celebration at Dhordo, a village near Rann of Kutch.
A whole new tent city has been created, replete with temporary infrastructure built and rebuilt every year. The Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar arrived in Kutch, Gujarat  and participated in the Rann Utsav. It celebrates the nature at the White Desert and the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Kutch.

Notes:
The AMASR (Amendment) Bill is a proposed legislation that aims to make several changes to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act.
The Act regulates the preservation of historical monuments and archaeological sites. It seeks to redefine the current definition of a ‘monument’ which currently requires it to be at least 100 years old.

Notes:
The I2U2 Group consists of four countries – India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States.
Recently, the inaugural I2U2 Business Forum was organized in Abu Dhabi. This meeting discussed the possibility of building integrated agricultural facilities across India.

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 Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) is a division of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that provides financial assistance to the world’s most impoverished countries.
It was established in 1999, to replace the Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility. The IMF recently sought urgent action from the international community to strengthen the global financial architecture, including global financial safety net and the debt resolution.