Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has announced ₹9,698 crore-worth projects in the State Budget 2023-23 for comprehensive development of Bengaluru city.
Under the Amrutha Nagarothana Scheme, works worth ₹6,000 crore are being implemented in Bengaluru. Development of 108 km of roads has been taken up under the high-density corridors scheme.

Notes:
Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) and India’s Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), both owned by their respective Governments, entered into a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) to form a joint venture firm for extending product support services for Indian Armed Forces.
MRSAM is an advanced air and missile defence system that provides protection against a variety of aerial platforms. The MRSAM is used by the Indian Air Force, Indian Army, Indian Navy and Israeli Defence Forces.

Notes:
According to a recently published NASSCOM report, India ranks first in AI skill penetration and talent concentration and fifth in AI scientific publications.
The report states that tech talent in India is three times more likely to have AI skills than in other countries. India’s AI skills Penetration Factor leads all countries across education, finance, hardware and networking, manufacturing, software and IT services.

Notes:
A new low-cost vertical farming structure has been developed by the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticulture Research (IIHR) for growing crops such as cabbage and cauliflower, as well as flowers like lilium and gerbera.
The structures consist of vertically stacked layers, allowing for high planting density and utilization of the available unit area in the poly-house by up to 5-6 times.

Notes:
The India-Guyana air services agreement has been approved by the Union Cabinet recently. The agreement will enable flight services between the two countries.
According to the 2012 census, Indians comprise about 40 per cent of the population in Guyana. Both India and Guyana are signatories to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. India has air services agreements with around 110 countries.

Notes:
Canada’s super pigs have been recently spotted in the United States. These non-indigenous species cause major damage to the North American region by spreading diseases and eating away the crops.
Super pig came as a result of the cross-breeding of domestic pigs and wild boars. It is highly intelligent and elusive. The crossbreed was created to help pigs withstand the subzero temperature in Canada.

Notes:
Mount Mayon, a strato-volcano located in the Bicol province of the Philippines, is famous for its symmetrical and perfectly conical shape.
It is a popular tourist attraction and is considered sacred in Philippine folklore. It is the centrepiece of the Albay Biosphere Reserve and is currently being considered for nomination as a World Heritage Site.

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:
The United States and South Korea recently conducted a simulated table-top exercise called DSC TTX.
It is aimed at determining actions to be taken in the event of a possible nuclear attack by North Korea. The exercise was the eighth edition of the US and South Korean deterrence strategy committee table-top exercise.

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.