Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has made ‘penny drop’ verification mandatory for the withdrawal of funds by subscribers of the National Pension System (NPS), Atal Pension Yojana and NPS Lite as well as modifications in bank account details.
Under the process, Central Recordkeeping Agencies (CRA) check the active status of the savings bank account and match the name in the bank account number with the name in the PRAN or according to the documents submitted.

Notes:
The Group of Seven (G7) industrial nations officially adopted a code of conduct for companies involved in the development of advanced artificial intelligence systems.
Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) economies as well as the European Union, kicked off the process in May at a ministerial forum dubbed the ‘Hiroshima AI process’. The code aims to promote safe, secure, and trustworthy AI worldwide and will provide voluntary guidance for actions by organizations developing the most advanced AI systems.

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 Environmental Investigation Agency is an international NGO founded in 1984 in the United Kingdom.
‘Parts of tigers, leopards, pangolins & rhinos being used in 88 Chinese medicines’ A probe by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has found that body parts of leopards and pangolins, which are highly trafficked and endangered mammals, are used in at least 88 traditional Chinese medicines.

Notes:
Two ancient temple caves were discovered near Rajapur, Ratnagiri, in the state of Maharashtra. The caves are believed to have been created in the 5th or 6th century CE.
They are older than the Elephanta caves. Ratnagiri is also home to the Ratnagiri Caves, a Buddhist center. The Buddhist monuments were constructed from the 5th century CE onwards, with the last work in the 13th century.

Notes:
The Indian Army’s Light Combat Helicopter (LCH), known as ‘Prachand,’ has achieved a significant milestone by successfully conducting live firing exercises with 70mm rockets.
These exercises were conducted in both day and night conditions at a firing range located near Likabali in Assam, showcasing the LCH’s capabilities and versatility.

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:
A new study has found that the body plan of starfish is much more complex and distributed than previously thought, challenging the understanding of their evolution.
Using genetic and molecular tools, the research created a 3D atlas of gene expression in starfish, revealing that the “head” of a starfish is scattered across its body, raising questions about the evolution of these creatures.

Notes:
The Swiss National Bank, Switzerland’s central bank, has announced its plans to commence a pilot project next month, involving the use of central bank digital currency (CBDC) for financial institutions.
UBS and Zuercher Kantonal Bank are among the participants who have signed up for this initiative, which will utilize a real Swiss franc wholesale CBDC. Additionally, four other commercial Swiss banks will also be part of this pilot project.

Notes:
Norway will help fund India’s ‘Hunger Project’ and help strengthen women leaders to protect the environment and promote food security in Uttarakhand.
The duration of the project would be three years, until September 2026 with a budget of ₹44.7 million. The project organizes capacity-building training for elected women representatives and federations, focusing on strengthening van panchayats (forest councils).