Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
Chinese vessel Shi Yan 6 entered the Indian Ocean via Malacca Straits on September 23 and was seen in Singapore on September 14 after leaving homeport Guangzhou on September 10.
According to Sri Lanka, it has not given permission to the Chinese vessel Shi Yan 6 as Indian security concerns were important to the island nation. The country said if the vessel complied with the standard operating procedures of Sri Lanka, then there would be no problems.

Notes:
As per the Punjab’s ‘Action plan to curb paddy straw burning’, approximately 31 lakh hectares of land in the region are dedicated to paddy cultivation.
This is anticipated to yield roughly 16 million tons of paddy straw (non-basmati), which will be effectively handled through both in-situ techniques (incorporating crop residue into the fields) and ex-situ methods (utilizing stubble as a source of fuel).

Notes:
The four riders and their horses Sudipti Hajela (Chinski), Divyakriti Singh (Adrenalin Firfod), Hriday Cheda (Chemxpro Emerald) and Anush Agarwalla (Etro) recently clinched India’s first-ever gold medal for India in Equestrian Dressage.
Equestrian first made its appearance at the Asian Games in 1982 and the host India dominated the competition with three gold medals. After 41 days, Indian team clinched a medal recently.

Notes:
A new report reveals that tortoises or hard-shell turtles from India are traded across a more extensive global network compared to soft-shell turtles.
The former are primarily sought after as pets, while the latter is primarily traded for meat, within India. The illegally traded tortoise / hard-shell turtles were often found to be transported by air. Chennai emerged as the most central node in tortoise / hard-shell turtle trafficking, ranking as the top exporting and intermediary district.

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:
Gujarat has recently banned the Conocarpus plant because of its environmental and health hazards. This fast-growing exotic mangrove species, locally called as Saptaparni, has become a popular choice for increasing green cover in the state over the past few years.

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:
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated an expansion of the state’s Inland Water Transport fleet.
As many as 10 Steel Catamaran Vessels, 3 Tug Boats, and a Search and Search and Rescue (SAR) boat were flagged off at the event. The aim is to utilize Assam’s extensive river systems to their fullest potential.

Notes:
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen launched the island’s first domestically made submarine for testing at a port in Kaohsiung.
The submarine, if successful in its tests, will be a major breakthrough for Taiwan in shipbuilding and design.

Notes:
Recently, Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd. (IREDA), India’s largest specialized green finance Non-Banking Finance Company, has received an upgrade from the ‘Schedule B’ category to the prestigious ‘Schedule A’ category among Central Public Sector Enterprises.
This elevation in status was formally enacted through an Office Memorandum issued by the Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance. The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy has officially confirmed this upgrade.