Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
Cyrtodactylus vairengtensis is a newly discovered species of Gecko endemic to Mizoram. This brings the number of gecko species in the state to six and 22 across the country.
The new species has been named after the town in Mizoram where it was found, while the common name suggested for the new species is ‘Vairengte bent-toed gecko’. There are 335 gecko species across the world, of which 42 are found in India.

Notes:
November 15 is celebrated as Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas, also known as Tribal Pride Day, to honour the birth anniversary of the tribal freedom fighter, Birsa Munda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also launched the ‘Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra’ from Ulihatu village in Jharkhand on the day.

Notes:
NITI Aayog, the leading policy think tank of the Indian government, has recently welcomed the appointment of four Distinguished Fellows, each serving for a duration of one year.
The four new members are Anoop Singh, OP Agarwal, Ajai Chowdhry and V Lakshmikumaran. Anoop Singh has been a member of the Fifteenth Finance Commission and has also worked with the International Monetary Fund as director of the Asia Pacific department.

Notes:
Prime Minister Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Janjaatiya Aadivasi Nyaya Mahabhiyaan, PM JanMan on the occasion of third Janjaatiya Gaurav Diwas at Khunti district of Jharkhand.
The 24,000-crore rupee scheme aims to benefit and saturate the families and habitations with basic facilities. The Prime Minister also released the 15th instalment of about 18000 crore rupees under PM-KISAN Samman Nidhi, during the occasion.

Notes:
The ninth edition of the Joint Military exercise “Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023” between India and Sri Lanka has begun in Pune. The Indian contingent consists of 120 personnel, primarily comprising troops from the MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY Regiment.
On the Sri Lankan side, personnel from the 53 Infantry Division are participating. Additionally, 15 individuals from the Indian Air Force and five from the Sri Lankan Air Force are also taking part in this exercise.

Notes:
Madras High Court has created a record in disposal of cases by registering its highest-ever Case Clearance Rate (CCR) of 114% in 2022 as against 109% in 2021.
The High Court had registered a CCR of 106.21% in 2018, 112.77% in 2019 and 103.23% in 2020 too despite the COVID-19 outbreak when court hearings were held through virtual mode. The rate increased to 109% in 2021 and reached the all-time high of 114% in 2022.

Notes:
The Global Fisheries Conference India 2023, a two-day major event, will be organized in Gujarat Science City in Ahmedabad.
With the theme ‘Celebrating Fisheries and Aquaculture Wealth,’ the conference aims to unite key stakeholders on a single platform to engage in productive discussions, share market insights, and facilitate networking opportunities.

Notes:
The U.S. government is hosting a two-day Ukrainian Defense Industrial Base Conference next month. The conference aims to connect industry representatives.
The conference will be held in December with US and Ukrainian industry and government representatives to explore opportunities for co-production and other industrial cooperation in Ukraine.

Notes:
Kangaroo care also known as skin-to-skin contact, involves holding a premature or low birth weight baby against the parent’s bare chest. This practice provides numerous benefits such as physical development, breastfeeding facilitation, and emotional attachment.
World Prematurity Day is observed on 17 November each year to raise awareness of preterm birth and the concerns of preterm babies and their families worldwide.

Notes:
Dr Sujit Roy, Co Founder, BrainAlive received NASA IMPACT Planet Award 2023 for his outstanding contribution to the Geospatial AI Foundation Model project.
Dr Sujit Roy has over 10 years of experience of R&D in Machine Learning and Computational Neuroscience in global research organizations like NASA Impact and University of Manchester.