Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2023

Notes:
Over 50 high-impact initiatives were launched or profiled at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023.
The World Economic Forum and the government of the United Arab Emirates signed a collaboration agreement on the TradeTech initiative to use technology to overcome trade impediments. They also signed an agreement to host the annual meeting of the Forum’s Global Future Council 2023 in Dubai.

Notes:
The United States launched ‘Welcome Corps scheme’, which will allow groups of people and organisations in the US to sponsor refugees seeking sanctuary in the country.
This move that was welcomed by rights groups as a positive step. Welcome Corps will initially apply only to refugees who have already been approved for entry into the US. This is applicable for refugees arriving through the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP).

Notes:
Prime Minister Modi named 21 islands of Andaman & Nicobar after Param Vir Chakra awardees, to give due honour and recognition to real-life heroes.
The move was taken on Parakram Diwas, also known as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Jayanti. The national event aims to mark the birth anniversary of prominent Indian freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.

Notes:
The Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the Centre has nominated the maidams of Ahom Kingdom in Charaideo to seek a UNESCO World Heritage Site tag for the historic site.
The Charaideo Maidams are the representation of the late medieval mound burial tradition of the Tai Ahom community in Assam. The Maidams are managed by the Archaeological Survey of India and the State Department of Archaeology.

Notes:
The Constitutional Conduct Group, which includes nearly 100 former civil servants, has written to President Droupadi Murmu protesting the mega-infrastructure project in the Great Nicobar Island.
The Union Environment Ministry gave clearance for the diversion of 130.75 sq. km. of forest in Great Nicobar Island for a ₹72,000-crore project that includes a trans-shipment port, an airport, a power plant and a greenfield township. The project threatens to displace the ‘extremely vulnerable’ Shompen tribe.

Notes:
The average days of employment provided per household under the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) is at a five-year low, this financial year.
As of January, the average days of employment provided per household is 42 days while it was 50 days in 2021-22, 52 days in 2020-21, 48 days in 2019-20 and 51 days in 2018-19. There has been a decline in demand for jobs under the scheme this financial year.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that India has decided to elevate bilateral relations with Egypt to a strategic partnership,
India and Egypt also exchanged Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in the fields of cyber security, culture, information technology, youth matters and broadcasting. Exchange of commemorative postage stamps to mark the milestone of 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic ties between India and Egypt was also held.

Notes:
The G20 Startup20 Engagement Group will hold its first inception meeting in Hyderabad. Delegates from G20 nations and nine special invitees from observer countries, and representatives from multilateral organizations will attend the meeting.
The Startup20 inception meeting is expected to lay a foundation for the official Policy Communique, a Startup Handbook with a set of commonly agreed-upon definitions and terminologies, and a Global Innovation Centre to foster collaborations across borders.

Notes:
Kappad is the only beach in Kerala with the international Blue Flag certificate, which is given to beaches that meet guidelines on ensuring eco-friendly measures, safety and hygiene.
A team of experts commenced a scientific study to prepare a proposal on protecting the 3.5-km stretch of coastline from Thuvvappara at Kappad beach to Valiyamangad near Koyilandy, in Kozhikode district in the state.

Notes:
National Institute of Biologicals was set up in 1992, as an apex autonomous institute under the administrative control of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, virtually inaugurated the National Summit on Quality of Biologicals.