Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

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:
World Pangolin Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in February, which aims to raise awareness about these unique mammals.
International non-profit organisation TRAFFIC has released a fact sheet on the eve of World Pangolin Day. It reported that 1,203 pangolins have been found in illegal wildlife trade in India from 2018 to 2022. The pangolin scales are used as an ingredient in traditional medicine in China and Southeast Asia.

Notes:
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh inaugurated a conference on ‘Opportunities for Multilateral Business Partnerships in ICT, Tourism, Healthcare and Handloom’ in Imphal.
This was the first of the four sessions of B20 scheduled in Northeast India. B20 is the official G20 dialogue forum for the global business community. Manipur had launched new Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy, Industrial Single Window Clearance Act, 2021 and Integrated Logistics Policy, 2022 for ease of doing business.

Notes:
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.

Notes:
The 49th meeting of the GST Council was held recently, under the chairship of the Union Finance Minister.
It was decided to clear all pending dues of pertaining to GST compensation to states. The finance minister also spoke about the GoM report on online gaming and said that the report has been submitted. The chair of the GoM is Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma.

Notes:
Whale stranding is a phenomenon that occurs when whales become stranded on land, and cannot return to the ocean.
Several factors have been proposed as reason for mass stranding, including the topography of the region, illness, human activities, and increasing noise pollution in the oceans. Certain regions such as Tasmania, New Zealand’s Golden Bay, and Massachusetts’s Cape Cod are known hotspots for whale stranding. Recently, 14 pilot whales got stranded on the shore of Sri Lanka’s Kalpitiya.

Notes:
An invasive species is an organism that is not indigenous, or native, to a particular area. The Burmese python is a species of constrictor snake found in Southeast Asia.
It is one of the world’s largest snakes, capable of growing more than 20 feet long and weighing over 200 pounds.  It has become an invasive species in certain parts of the world, particularly in the Everglades wetland in the US. The snake feeds on a variety of animals and this invasive species is a significant threat to native wildlife.

Notes:
A dangerous mix of Fentanyl and animal tranquilizer ‘Xylazine’, known as “Tranq Dope,” is being sold in the US.
Xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, is known for destructive effects on people’s skin. The substance is being used as a synthetic cutting agent for opioids like heroin and is causing outbreaks of skin infections and overdoses in major cities across the country.

Notes:
The Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK) is a flagship event that provides platform to strengthen personal and economic ties between countries in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
India is likely to host the Asia Pacific Conference of German Businesses in 2024. This was announced during the visit by German chancellor Olaf Scholz to India. The visit largely focused on the war in Ukraine and cooperation in green hydrogen.

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.