Current Affairs Quiz - June, 2023

Notes:
Eminent poet, literary critic and Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Acharya N. Gopi has been selected for Prof. Kothapalli Jayashankar Award.
It was instituted by Bharat Jagruthi, a cultural organisation and extended arm of Bharat Rashtra Samithi. Acharya Gopi has so far penned 56 books including 26 compilations of poems.

Notes:
The 91st Annual Meeting of International Commission on Large Dams (ICOLD 2023) took place in Gothenburg, Sweden from 11th to 15th June, 2023.
In the meeting, India was represented by NHPC Limited which is  India’s largest hydropower development organization. The NHPC delegation presented several papers and posters on critical issues faced by hydropower developers,

Notes:
The Odisha Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has given approval for an increased budget of Rs. 4224.22 Crore for the ABADHA Scheme.
ABADHA stands for ‘Augmentation Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture’. The scheme aims to transform Puri into a world-class heritage city, focusing on preserving and rejuvenating its cultural and architectural heritage.

Notes:
Predator drones will be acquired by India from the United States. They will be operated by the tri-services jointly.
The Predators, also called the MQ-9 Reaper, can fly up to 36 hours at a stretch and can be used for focused monitoring of any specific point or area of interest.

Notes:
The PM-Kisan Mobile App with Face Authentication Feature was launched by the Union Agriculture Minister to facilitate e-KYC for farmers under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme.
The app allows farmers to complete the process remotely by scanning their face, without the need for OTP or fingerprint, and has now been extended to state government officers to help 500 farmers with e-KYC.

Notes:
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a nonregulatory United States agency that is part of the Commerce Department.
It is planning to launch a public group on generative AI to address the new technology’s opportunities and develop guidance to address associated risks.

Notes:
The United Kingdom Treasury has granted equivalence to central counterparties authorized by the Reserve Bank of India, resolving a regulatory dispute and marking the first such decision post-Brexit.
The decision was made based on the assessment that the RBI’s regulatory framework for designated CCPs aligns with the Principles on Financial Market Infrastructures (PFMIs), satisfying the outcomes required by the UK. PFMIs  are issued by the CPMI and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO).

Notes:
Cloud seeding is a weather modification technique aimed at enhancing precipitation in clouds to increase rainfall or suppress hail.
IIT Kanpur has successfully carried out a test flight for cloud seeding. The purpose of this experiment is to induce rainfall and address both dry conditions and air pollution concerns.

Notes:
Larsen & Toubro (L&T) and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have signed a contract to develop two Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) System Modules for the Indian Navy’s Kalvari Class submarines.
The AIP Modules have been developed by DRDO’s Naval Materials Research Laboratory (NMRL) in collaboration with L&T, which has received the Transfer of Technology (ToT) for this indigenous AIP System.

Notes:
India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have signed a Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) for authorized economic operators (AEOs), allowing Customs authorities of both countries to recognize safe and compliant exporters and importers.
This agreement aims to enhance facilitation and streamline customs clearances for AEOs, providing them with improved benefits and efficiencies.