Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2022

Notes:
MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Meta, announced the launch of an accelerator programme to accelerate XR technology startups across India.
The ‘XR Startup Program’ will support 40 early-stage start-ups working in XR technologies including Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) with a grant of Rs 20 lakhs each

Notes:
Norway’s Central bank- the Norges Bank released the open source code for the country’s central bank digital currency (CBDC) sandbox based on Ethereum technology.
The sandbox is designed to offer an interface to interact with the test network. It also has enabled functions like minting, burning, and transferring tokens. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), 97 countries, (more than half of the global central banks) are developing CBDCs.

Notes:
FICCI is organizing the thought Leadership initiative of India, LEADS (Leadership, Excellence, Adaptability, Diversity, Sustainability) in New Delhi.
It will have more than 250 participants from around 50 countries. The 3rd edition will include the discussions by 36 global thought leaders exchanging ideas on 11 themes including manufacturing; food for all; innovation; mobility etc. Indian Union Ministers and their counter-parts from Germany and New Zealand will address various thematic sessions.

Notes:
As per the list released by the Central Zoo Authority based on management and effectiveness, the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park, Darjeeling was given the highest percentage of 83.
The Red Panda is one of the top attractions of the Zoo, besides Himalayan Black Bear, Snow Leopard, Goral and Himalayan Thar. The Arignar Anna Zoological Park in Chennai has secured the second position, followed by the Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens in Mysore.

Notes:
Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana, more than 8,700 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras have been opened across the country. They sell quality generic medicines, surgical equipment in affordable prices.
It is implemented by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said in a statement. The government recently launched diabetes drug Sitagliptin and its combinations at rates as low as Rs 60 per pack of ten, at Janaushadhi Kendras.

Notes:
The European Parliament declared Hungary as ‘a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy’ in serious breach of EU democratic norms.
Hungary is ruled by populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who maintains close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Lawmakers raised concerns about Hungary’s constitutional and electoral systems, judicial independence, as well as media, academic and religious freedoms.

Notes:
‘Typhoon Nanmadol’ is expected to make landfall in Japan. The country’s weather agency issued a rare warning about the powerful storm.
Nearly two million people in Japan have been asked to seek shelter before Typhoon Nanmadol. It is the first typhoon-linked special warning issued outside of the Okinawa region since the present system began in 2013.

Notes:
Iran signed a formal MoU to become a permanent member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in 2023.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi became the first Iranian president in 20 years to visit Uzbekistan, by attending the SCO Summit. Iran acquired observer status in the organisation in June 2005. Its bid for full membership was approved in September 2021 after a wait of 15 years.

Notes:
Indian private sector bank Federal Bank was ranked 63rd on the Best Workplaces in Asia 2022 list. It becomes the only bank in India to be listed by Great Place to Work, the international authority on workplace culture.
The report assesses employee experiences of trust, innovation, company values and leadership. Companies are also evaluated on how well they are creating workplace experience, inclusive of all employees.

Notes:
SOVA Virus is the new mobile banking Trojan virus, which can encrypt an Android phone for ransom. India’s federal cyber security agency issued an advisory saying that the virus has upgraded to its fifth version after it was first detected in the India in July.
In July 2022 it added several countries, including India, to its list of targets. It has the ability to harvest user names and passwords by key logging, stealing cookies and adding false overlays to many apps.