Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2023

Notes:
Jamaica-based International Seabed Authority’s member nations agreed on a two-year roadmap for the adoption of deep sea mining regulations.
The ISA, an intergovernmental body tasked with protecting the seabed, and its member states have spent the last decade trying to hash out a mining code for the possible exploitation of nickel, cobalt and copper in deep seabed areas that fall outside of national jurisdictions.

Notes:
During the two-day national conference held at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Echo India entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish JJM Digital Academy.
The Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, inaugurated the online portal of JJM Digital Academy on this occasion.

Notes:
The BRICS Urbanisation Forum, which was initially launched in New Delhi in February 2013, will hold its first in-person follow-up event in Durban, South Africa.
During the two-day conference, representatives from the five BRICS nations will engage in discussions about crucial urban development matters, aiming to explore how cities worldwide are enhancing their resilience to these challenges.

Notes:
Recently, the Gujarat government, through its Department of Science and Technology (DST), entered into a memorandum of understanding with OneWeb India Communications to establish a ‘satellite network portal site’ in Mehsana, Gujarat.
This marks the first instance of such a setup in India by a state. The site is planned to provide high-speed, low-latency, and affordable connectivity.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) intends to create at least five regional coordination units to establish an efficient system for identifying violations in Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas, conducting essential monitoring, and taking appropriate actions against such violations.
The TNSCZMA has also suggested a significant increase in the scrutiny fee collected from project proponents.

Notes:
Prime Minister has recently inaugurated the redeveloped India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) complex at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi.
Called ‘Bharat Mandapam’, the complex is the venue for the G-20 leaders’ meeting in September.

Notes:
According to a new research by the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), climate change could potentially turn Punjab, India, into a water-deficient desert in the future.
The reasons are absence of required rain, lack of crop diversification and indiscriminate pumping of groundwater. The state is currently known for its bumper agricultural output.

Notes:
In Japan, a research team has discovered a remarkably well-preserved fossil forest known as Wataria parvipora.
This discovery could provide crucial insights for reconstructing a comprehensive Eurasian plant ecosystem from the late Miocene epoch, approximately 10.4 to 5 million years ago.

Notes:
Recently, Google Doodle honoured the 122nd birthday of Dr. Mod Helmy, an Egyptian-German medical professional born in 1901 in Khartoum, Sudan.
Despite the risks during the Holocaust, Dr. Helmy saved several Jews from Nazi persecution in Berlin.

Notes:
In preparation for COP28, the UAE Presidency and the International Energy Agency (IEA) held the initial high-level dialogues focused on creating an energy transition aligned with the 1.5°C target.
The effort is a joint undertaking with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and will receive support from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).