Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
The Vigilance Awareness Week, 2023 is being observed by the Central Vigilance Commission and all institutions across the country from 30th October till 5th November. This year the theme is – Say no to corruption, commit to the Nation.
Every year Vigilance Awareness Week is observed as an outreach measure to create greater awareness about the importance of integrity and ethics in public life.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister launches phase IV of ‘Operation Sesha’ to curb the illegal trade of Timber, including Red Sanders.
She launched this during the inaugural session of the first ever Global Conference on Cooperation in Enforcement Matters (GCCEM) in New Delhi. Delegates representing over 40 Custom Organisations participated in the event.

Notes:
The 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug, ‘Mahabali’ was launched recently at Shoft Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Bharuch, Gujarat, under the “Make in India” initiative of Ministry of Defence.
This aligns with the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” initiative of the Government of India, promoting self-reliance and indigenous production.

Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed ‘International Day of Care and Support’ to be observed on 29 October.
This international day seeks to foreground care and support as a cornerstone of sustainable development and accelerator for equality. This year is the first time, the days is observed.

Notes:
Escrowpay, a Digital Escrow payments platform, has received the first digital escrow regulatory fintech authorization from IFSCA, Gift City.
Recently, the startup has signed a definitive agreement to raise an additional USD 4 Million via issuance of warrants, taking its total fund raise till date to USD 6 Million.

Notes:
India is on track to operationally deploy its own long-range air defense system by 2028-29. This indigenous system is designed to detect and destroy a wide array of threats, including stealth fighters, aircraft, drones, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions at ranges of up to 350 km.
The ambitious project, known as Project Kusha, is under the purview of the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). The Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LR-SAM) is being developed to provide interception capabilities similar to the Russian S-400 Triumf air defense system recently inducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Notes:
A record drought hitting the Amazon rainforest has revealed petroglyphs carved by humans up to 2,000 years ago that are now partly submerged in one of the largest rivers in the region.
The pre-Columbian engravings were found at a point in the Brazilian city of Manaus, where the Negro River’s dark waters meet the Amazon River. The images carved into the rocks depict humans, animals and geometric shapes, such as squares and circles.

Notes:
The Maitree Super Thermal Power Project, funded through an Indian Concessional Financing Scheme loan of USD 1.6 billion, is a 1320 MW Super Thermal Power Plant (MSTPP) situated in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, jointly inaugurated three development projects supported by India, including the Unit – II of the Maitree Super Thermal Power Plant.

Notes:
The Indian government has received numerous expressions of interest for the strategic sale of Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL).
IMPCL is currently under the administrative control of the Ministry of Ayush, and the government holds a 98.11% stake in the company. This move is part of the government’s efforts to divest its holdings in certain public sector enterprises.

Notes:
In 2021, climate adaptation funding from public multilateral entities (such as the World Bank) and bilateral sources (from developed to developing nations) experienced a 15% decrease, as revealed in the 2023 Adaptation Gap Report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This decline occurred despite the commitments made at the 26th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. These commitments aimed to double the support for adaptation finance from 2019 levels, targeting an annual sum of approximately $40 billion by 2025.