Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

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:
The most recent assessment on agricultural policy and support worldwide by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has highlighted that in 2022, Indian farmers incurred an implicit tax of $169 billion.
This tax was a result of export bans, duties, or permits imposed on various commodities, including wheat and rice, in an effort to stabilize prices for consumers. As a consequence of these measures, the overall market price support (MPS) for farmers in 2022 turned negative.

Notes:
Astronomers used NASA’s retired Kepler space telescope data to find an intriguing seven-planet system, Kepler-385, where all planets are bigger than Earth but smaller than Neptune.
Such planets are uncommon in the universe, and Kepler-385 is one of the few systems known to have more than six confirmed planets or planet candidates.

Notes:
Russian President Vladimir Putin signs a Bill, revoking Russia’s ratification of global nuclear test ban. Putin said that rescinding the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, also known as the CTBT, would mirror the stand taken by the U.S., which has signed but not ratified the nuclear test ban.
The CTBT, adopted in 1996, bans all nuclear explosions anywhere in the world, but the treaty was never fully implemented. It is yet to be ratified by China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel, Iran and Egypt.

Notes:
In the year 2022 at the 41st Session of UNESCO’s general Conference, it was decided that November 3 would be celebrated worldwide as the International Day for Biosphere Reserves.
Biosphere Reserves are protected areas, meant for the conservation of plants and animals. Human beings also depend on these protected areas for their livelihood activities. There are 738 biosphere reserves in 134 countries and there are 18 notified biosphere reserves in India.

Notes:
Kerala bagged the prestigious Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023, for its sustainable and women-inclusive initiatives successfully promoted by the state’s Responsible Tourism Mission
The Global Responsible Tourism Awards, which cater to Africa, India and Latin America regions, were given in six categories including Tackling Plastic Waste; Meaningful Connections; Local Sourcing – Craft and Food; Addressing Climate Change; Diversity and Inclusion and Nature-Positive Tourism.

Notes:
The name of C-DAC Hyderabad developed Android devices bot removal tool is ‘M-Kavach 2’. The name of e-Scan developed bot removal tool for Android devices is ‘eScan CERT-In Bot Removal’.
Bots are automated software programs that are designed to perform repetitive tasks automatically. They can be used for various purposes, such as spamming, data scraping, or performing malicious activities.

Notes:
IndiaFirst Life Insurance Company Ltd (IndiaFirst Life), one of the private life insurers of the country, became the first Indian life insurance company to get the Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Registration.
It obtained registration from the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) in September 2023 following approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) in August of the same year.

Notes:
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah launched the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand of the newly launched National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL).
It will have as many as 20 products in the market by December 2023. NCOL will pass on 50 per cent of its profit earned over the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of any crop directly into the bank account of the farmers, while the rest will be used for the growth of the organization.

Notes:
The Supreme Court directed the Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan governments to ensure that the burning of crop stubble be stopped forthwith.
It also mentioned that a particular kind of paddy grown mostly in Punjab was seen as major causes of stubble burning and the resultant pollution problems in the National Capital Region. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had earlier said Pusa-44 variety would be banned from next year.