Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu government announced a new Samadhan scheme with waivers and concessions for the settlement of the pending tax dues of about ₹25,000 crore, of which a majority are under the erstwhile Tamil Nadu Value Added Tax and other legacy tax legislations.
The new Samadhan scheme, seeks to put an end to the pending tax arrears, disputes and appeals between the traders and the State commercial tax department.

Notes:
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik launched the ‘Ama Odisha, Nabin Odisha’ (Our Odisha, New Odisha) scheme.
This initiative aims to provide every panchayat in the state with financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh to support projects focused on preserving places of worship, enhancing historically significant sites, and improving rural infrastructure and digital connectivity.

Notes:
Positive cases of African Swine Fever among the pigs have been reported in Manipur. Samples of the Pigs reared in Imphal were sent to the North Eastern Regional Disease Diagnostic Laboratory for testing. The samples were confirmed positive.
Following confirmation of African Swine Fever, as a containment measure of the disease, the Manipur Government has restricted the movement of Pigs from the affected area.

Notes:
Five sports, including cricket will be included in the 2028 Los Angeles Games after gaining the approval of the International Olympic Committee.
Lacrosse, squash, flag football and baseball-softball, proposed for inclusion by LA Games organisers, also received approval.

Notes:
Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan has signed the ratification of the Rome Statute, recognising the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite Russian warnings.
ICC issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Armenia says joining the ICC would allow it to investigate war crimes by Azerbaijan after Baku’s offensive to retake Nagorno-Karabakh.

Notes:
According to the 15th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI), India ranked 45th out of 47 countries. India’s overall index value increased from 44.4 in 2022 to 45.9 in 2023.
The improvement was primarily attributed to enhancements in the adequacy and sustainability sub-indices. India was ranked 41st out of 44 in 2022. The Netherlands’ retirement income system regained the top spot on the list, with Iceland and Denmark taking second and third places respectively. The report states that retirement income systems around the world are under pressure as never before.

Notes:
Business heir Daniel Noboa has been declared as Ecuador’s next president and becomes the country’s youngest-ever leader.
Noboa, a centre-right former lawmaker, beat leftist rival Luisa González in a run-off election, taking 52 per cent of the vote. Fuelled by drug-related crime, the country’s homicide rate has quadrupled between 2018 and last year.

Notes:
The Israeli canine unit ‘Oketz’ played a crucial role in the rescue of 200 lives and the neutralization of 10 Hamas terrorists. ‘
The Israeli canine unit ‘Oketz,’ which translates to “sting” in Hebrew, extensively trains its dogs, specializing them in various areas, including attack, search and rescue, explosive detection, and weapon location.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the third edition of the Global Maritime India Summit 2023 (GMIS 2023), which is scheduled to take place in Mumbai.
He also unveiled ‘Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’ – a blueprint for the Indian Maritime blue economy. This significant maritime event is being organized by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

 

Notes:
Union Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan, has inaugurated the web portal ‘Apna Chandrayaan.’
This portal offers activity-based support materials such as quizzes, puzzles, etc., designed for school students who are interested in Mission Chandrayaan-3.