Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

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:
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 Mukaab is a new development project that has been announced by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
The ambitious plan aims to build the largest inner-city building in the world named ‘The Mukaab’ in Riyadh, the country’s capital. It aims to develop the world’s largest modern downtown in Riyadh in line with Saudi Vision 2030.

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:
Horaglanis populi is a newly discovered species of aquifer-dwelling catfish. It was found in the lateritic aquifer systems in Kerala.
The state currently has 4 endemic species of Horaglanis genus. The new species has 4 pairs of well-developed barbels and a blood-red body. Its length is less than 3.2 cm. It is blind and does not have pigments. It is highly vulnerable to extinction due to its small ranges.

Notes:
INS Sindhukesari is a Sindhughosh-class diesel-electric submarine belonging to the Indian Navy. This 3,000 tonne submarine underwent a major ‘medium refit-cum-life extension’ in Russia’s Severodvinsk that ended in 2018.
INS Sindhukesari recently reached Jakarta in Indonesia for the ‘maiden operational turnaround’ via the Sunda Strait. This is the first long-range deployment of a submarine.

Notes:
Phosphor-gypsum, a by-product of fertilizer production, is composed of gypsum but is weakly radio-active due to naturally occurring uranium and thorium.
It is not commonly used in construction due to concerns about its radioactivity, resulting in indefinite storage. The NHAI is exploring the possibility of using phosphor-gypsum waste material in the construction of national highway and achieve circular economy. An Indian fertilizer company recently constructed a road using the neutralised phosphor-gypsum waste material.

Notes:
The Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) is located in Gurugram.
It is a regional maritime security centre that was launched in 2018. It aims to promote maritime security in the western Indian Ocean. It recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) of Seychelles.

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:
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.