Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Nepal has celebrated ‘National Democracy Day’ recently, to commemorate day when the Nepali people stood against the then autocratic Rana regime.
This event ended the 104 years of the Rana regime and subsequently established democracy for the first time in the country.

Notes:
The third phase of ‘Sagar Parikrama’ initiative, which aims to resolve fishermen issues, is set to begin in Gujarat.
Sagar Parikrama is a journey across the coastal belt demonstrating solidarity with all fisherpersons, fish farmers as a spirit of 75th Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. It is an initiative of Government of India, aiming to resolve the issues of the fishers and other stakeholders and facilitate their economic upliftment.

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North India’s first nuclear power plant is coming up in Gorakhpur, Haryana, about 150 km north of the national capital.
Department of Atomic Energy has been given permission to set up joint ventures with PSUs for resources to open atomic energy plants.

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The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a free trade agreement between 15 countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Philippines Senate recently ratified the country’s entry into the RCEP. The RCEP, which was signed in 2020, represents the largest trade bloc in history. RCEP aims to increase economic integration and reduce trade barriers among its member nations.

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:
During an El Nino event, the trade winds that usually blow from east to west across the Pacific weaken, causing warm water to move towards the central and eastern Pacific.
This year is expected to witness the setting in of the El Nino weather. Although El Niño is a natural occurrence, there are concerns that climate change may aggravate its frequency and intensity.

Notes:
Lake Garda, which is famed for its clear waters, is situated in northern Italy. The historically low waters of Lake Garda caused by a winter drought have led to an unusual phenomenon of a sand and stone causeway appearing to connect a small island to the mainland.
The decline in water levels is attributed to the warm temperatures, lack of rain in six weeks, and declining snow in the surrounding mountains.

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:
Micrometeoroid is a small space rock that weighs less than 1 gram. It is responsible for the coolant leakage of the Soyuz MS-22 capsule.
This prevented the spacecraft from being either used as a refuge or a return vehicle as its cabin temperature cannot be regulated. As per International Astronomical Union (IAU), the term ‘meteoroid’ is used to describe any solid object that is found to be moving in space while being less than 1 meter in size.

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.