Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2023

Notes:
L&T Finance, one of the leading non-banking financial companies in the country, has signed a financing pact with ADB for USD 125 million to support financing in rural and peri-urban areas of India.
The funding comprises a loan of up to USD 125 million from ADB and an agreement to syndicate an additional $125 million in co-financing from other development partners. At least 40 percent of the proceeds are allocated to women borrowers, while the rest will support farmers, MSMEs, and loans to purchase new two-wheeled vehicles.

Notes:
World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed sexual transmission of mpox, or monkeypox, in Congo for the first time, after Democratic Republic of the Congo’s largest-ever outbreak.
WHO has officially classified monkeypox (mpox), an infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus (MPXV), as a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Notes:
The Indian government has announced a phased introduction of blending compressed biogas with natural gas.
Starting at 1% from April 2025, this initiative aims to reach a 5% blend by 2028. India, which is one of the world’s largest importers of oil and gas, ships in about half of its overall gas consumption and wants to cut its imports cost.

Notes:
Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh unveiled the Diglot Edition of the Constitution of India in the Manipuri Language, using the Meitei Mayek Script, in Imphal.
The launch event took place on the occasion of Indian Constitution Day, which fell on November 26.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh High Court has said that ‘the right to speedy justice is a Fundamental Right’ while rejecting a plea against the executive order of the Chief Justice asking district courts to dispose of 25 of their oldest cases every quarter.
If a court fails to dispose of 25 of its oldest cases in a quarter, the remainder will be added to their target in the next quarter, as per the order.  There was a prolonged strike by lawyers across Madhya Pradesh against the order.

Notes:
India’s Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Zubin Irani launched the Guide on Gender-Inclusive Communication.
It is a collaborative effort by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), the National Gender and Child Centre (NGCC), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, along with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and UN Women.

Notes:
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar-led Cabinet passed a resolution seeking the grant of special category status (SCS) to Bihar.
The demand comes in the backdrop of the findings from the “Bihar Caste-based Survey, 2022”, which revealed that nearly one-third of Bihar’s population continues to live in poverty. Special category status is a classification granted by the Centre to assist the development of States that face geographical or socio-economic disadvantages. The SCS was introduced in 1969 on the recommendation of the fifth Finance Commission (FC).

Notes:
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched Classic Imperial, said to be the first and biggest-of-its-kind tourist vessel built in Kerala.
The 50-metre-long air-conditioned vessel that adheres to safety norms specified by the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS) and can carry up to 150 passengers will operate in the backwaters off Marine Drive.

Notes:
Every year, National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26, to create awareness of the importance of consumption of milk.
National Milk Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, the architect of India’s White Revolution.

Notes:
IndiGo has launched an AI chatbot, 6Eskai, powered by the GPT-4 technology with an aim to address travellers’ queries in 10 different languages and to offer a platform for booking tickets across the entire network.
Developed in-house by IndiGo’s digital team, in close collaboration with Microsoft, the AI chatbot is capable of booking tickets, applying discounts, booking addons, performing web check-ins, helping in seat selection, planning trips, answering FAQs, and connecting customers with an agent. Moreover, the bot is also capable of understanding verbal instructions using speech-to-text models.