Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has selected DSP Pension Fund Managers as the 11th fund manager permitted to manage retirement savings under the National Pension System (NPS).
PFRDA is looking to tap regional rural banks (RRBs) to enhance its reach to citizens across the country.

Notes:
Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala inaugurated the newly renovated Marine Museum at Fishery Survey of India, Visakhapatnam.
It displays more than 250 preserved specimens. All the specimens in the museum were displayed with modern technology such as QR coding, in which complete information could be obtained with just one click by science students, researches and general public.

Notes:
The ‘India Ageing Report 2023’ was released recently by the International Institute for Population Sciences and the United Nations Population Fund.
It revealed that India’s elderly population could constitute over 20% of the country’s total population by the year 2050. The decadal growth rate of the elderly population of India estimated at 41%.

Notes:
A new dispute arose when China erected a barrier close to the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea. It has reignited a longstanding territorial dispute between China and Philippines that dates back to 2012.
The South China Sea is situated just south of the Chinese mainland and is bordered by the countries of Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Notes:
Scientists have issued a warning about the spread of a parasitic brain worm called ‘Rat lungworm’ (Angiostrongylus cantonensis), in the southeastern United States.
This invasive parasite can be contracted by consuming tainted food, including fresh produce and escargots.

Notes:
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has assigned an international three-letter code, ‘DXN,’ to the soon-to-be-opened Noida International Airport (NIA) in Jewar.
The code is used on ticket reservations, boarding passes, luggage tag designators, and other documents. The airport is anticipated to open before the September 2024 deadline.

Notes:
Assam is encouraging pipe composting as an efficient method to transform biodegradable waste into fertilizer within two months, particularly emphasizing its adoption in rural areas.
This initiative is part of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, aimed at promoting sustainable waste management at the household level.

Notes:
Titled the “Pearl of The Silk Road,” the Tashkent International Film Festival was inaugurated in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
The festival was initially inaugurated in 1968. India’s participation in TIFFEST revolves around the theme ‘Showcasing India’s Creative Economy’.

Notes:
Front runner and Opposition candidate Mohamed Muizzu was recently elected President of the Maldives.
The opposition candidate beats the incumbent President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is considered pro-India.

Notes:
The World Bank’s compilation of Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) has ranked India 67 among 174 countries in 2019.
The SPI framework focuses on five key pillars of a country’s statistical performance: (i) data use, (ii) data services, (iii) data products, (iv) data sources, and (v) data infrastructure. It replaced the Statistical Capacity Indicator (SCI) that the World Bank was publishing since 2004.