Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2023

Notes:
Leptestheria chalukyae is a new species of spiny clam shrimp. It was discovered in Karnataka recently.
It was named after the Chalukyas, one of the medieval Indian dynasties, who ruled the region and had their capital in Badami. This species of shrimp measured up to 0.3 inches long, had a brown exterior and white-yellow interior coloring.

Notes:
The Stone of Scone, also referred to as the Stone of Destiny, is a red sandstone slab weighing 150kg. This stone has been a sacred and significant symbol of Scotland’s monarchy and national identity.
It was moved recently from Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle to London in preparation for King Charles III’s coronation.

Notes:
The Central Government has extended the deadline for the Smart Cities Mission from June 2023 to June 2024, to allow all 100 cities to complete their projects and share their experiences.
The Smart Cities Mission began in 2015, and 100 cities were chosen through a competitive process from January 2016 to June 2018, with five years given to complete their projects.

Notes:
The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs observed Swachhata Pakhwada from 16th to 30th April 2023, as part of the Swachh Bharat Mission.
The Swachhata Pakhwada was launched during the second fortnight of April 2023, as per the 2023 Swachhata Pakhwada calendar released by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Notes:
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Maldives counterpart recently laid foundation stone for the Coast Guard ‘Ekatha Harbour’.
It is one of the biggest Indian grant-in-aid projects in Maldives. The project was announced during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit in February 2021.

Notes:
The Fake News Law, also known as the Bill 2630, is a proposed legislation in Brazil that puts the onus on the internet companies, search engines and social messaging services to find and report illegal material.
It is being opposed by tech giants like Google. Brazil ordered the U.S. company to change a link on its search engine in Brazil.

Notes:
The IMF recently released a report titled “Geoeconomic Fragmentation: Sub-Saharan Africa Caught between the Fault Lines”. This report warned that if the world were to divide into isolated trading blocs centered around China or the United States and the European Union (EU), sub-Saharan African economies could suffer a permanent decline of up to 4% of their gross domestic product (GDP) within 10 years.

Notes:
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the European Union (EU’s) financial markets regulator and supervisor, has derecognised six Indian central counterparties (CCPs).
These six CCPs are The Clearing Corporation of India (CCIL), Indian Clearing Corporation Ltd (ICCL), NSE Clearing Ltd (NSCCL), Multi Commodity Exchange Clearing (MCXCCL), India International Clearing Corporation (IFSC) Ltd (IICC) and NSE IFSC Clearing Corporation Ltd (NICCL).

Notes:
The state government of Nagaland has set up a Directorate of Minority Affairs under the Planning and Transformation Department.
It will be responsible for managing various schemes and programmes under the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Notes:
‘Global Warming’s Four Indias, 2022’ is a report that was released recently by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and CVoter International, an Indian international polling agency headquartered in Delhi.
According to this report, majority of Indians around 82 %, think that the governments should ramp up efforts on climate action.