Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
The Rideau Canal Skateway is a popular winter attraction in Ottawa, Canada. It is the world’s largest skating rink.
It is part of the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For the first time since it was built in 1971, Rideau Canal Skateway will not open because of the lack of ice. This is due to the unusually high temperature in the region.

Notes:
The Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was established as a result of a 2012 agreement between India and China
Its main purpose is to facilitate regular and institutional exchanges between the two neighbours. Recently, the top official in India’s External Affairs Ministry visited China to attend the 26th WMCC. It was held in Beijing.

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:
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:
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:
Kaziranga National Park is a protected area located in the Indian state of Assam. It is home to a large population of one-horned rhinoceroses,
As of 2018 census, 2,613 rhinos are living in the park. The Central government has sought a factual report on the rhino population numbers in the National Park and Tiger Reserve based on the survey conducted in March 2022. Earlier, an activist found the possibility of number of rhinos being inflated.

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:
Tribeni Kumbho Mohotshav is an age-old festival that is celebrated on the banks of Ganga River. However, it was stopped 700 years ago and revived only 2 years ago by locals.
Its origins can be traced back to thousands of years and it finds mention in Bengali literary works like Mangalakavya, Vaishnava literature, Shakta literature and others. Various Bengali traditional genres like Kirtan, Baul, Godiyo Nritto, Sree-Khol, Poter Gaan, and Chou-Nach were included.

Notes:
New Zealand created a Recovery Visa recently to help bring in specialist workers required to support the rebuilding efforts in the disaster-hit regions of the country.
It was launched after the Gabrielle cyclone and Auckland flooding. It covers experts such as insurance assessors, infrastructure and utilities engineers and technicians, heavy machinery operators and debris removal workers.

Notes:

• According to data from the Association of Mutual Funds in India, Maharashtra, New Delhi and Goa have the maximum mutual fund penetration in India, due to high income levels, high literacy rates and substantial inflows rom corporations and high net-worth individuals (HNIs).
• While Jharkhand is one of the top 10 states with a depth of 13%, MF penetration is barely 5-6% in Telangana and Kerala. Jharkhand ranks 16^th in terms of per capita AUM (Rs 10, 750) despite having a higher penetration.
• The highest per capita AUMs are in New Delhi, Goa and Maharashtra. These are the only three states where the per capita AUM exceeds Rs. 1 lakh.
• The states with the lowest per capita AUM are Manipur, Bihar and Tripura.
• Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Bihar have the lowest penetration rates among large states.