Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
Archaeologists have recently unearthed 3,000-year-old priestly tomb, which had lain undisturbed, in northern Peru.
The occupant of the grave was dubbed as the Priest of Pacopampa by archaeologists after the highland area where it was found.

Notes:
Indian men’s 4x400m relay team consisting of Muhammed Anas Yahiya, Amoj Jacob, Muhammed Ajmal Variyathodi and Rajesh Ramesh broke the Asian record.
The team qualified for the final round of the World Championships, for the first time. The earlier Asian record of 2:59.51 was in the name of Japanese team. The earlier national record was 3:00.25 set in 2021.

Notes:
An Se-young defeated Carolina Marin to become the Republic of Korea’s first women’s singles world champion.
The world number one played in her 11th final from 12 tournaments this year. Kunlavut Vitidsarn made history by becoming Thailand’s first men’s singles world champion after a final against Naraoka Kodai. He is now the sixth man to win both junior and senior world singles titles.

Notes:
Thiruvonam, the most auspicious day during the Onam festival, is celebrated throughout Kerala. Onam is a harvest festival that celebrates the return of King Mahabali/Maveli to his beloved state.
The festival is celebrated for ten days and each day holds a lot of significance. Onam also marks the beginning of the Malayalam year, called Kolla Varsham.

Notes:
California’s legislature has passed Senate Bill (SB) 403, which seeks to add caste among the categories officially protected from discrimination in the state.
The Bill introduces comprehensive measures to counter discrimination across sectors such as education, employment, housing and public services.

Notes:
In a new study published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports, researchers have successfully extracted ancient DNA from a 2,900-year-old clay brick, uncovering a wealth of information about the plant life cultivated during that era.
The brick analyzed in this study was found in the palace of the Neo-Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, located in the ancient city of Kalhu, in modern day Iraq.

Notes:
The French government announced its decision to ban children from wearing the abaya, the loose-fitting, full- length robes worn by some Muslim women, in state-run schools.
France has enforced a ban on religious symbols in state schools since 2004, to uphold its strict brand of secularism, known as laicite.

Notes:
Air pollution is reducing the life span of people living in South Asia by 5.1 years, according to a new report. The region accounts for more than half of the total life years lost globally due to high pollution.
In India, on average, poor air quality takes 5.3 years off the life of a person, while cardiovascular diseases decrease the average Indian’s life expectancy by around 4.5 years.

Notes:
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the State’s longest flyover, named Nilachal Flyover after the Nilachal Hills near which it stands.
It measures a total of 2.63 kilometres and starting from Maligaon Chariali to Kamakhya Gate in Guwahati. The flyover was built at a cost of ₹420.75 crore.

Notes:
National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) has been granted the deemed-to-be-university status by the Ministry of Higher Education, Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan.
It was announced on the 63rd Foundation Day of the apex decision-making body for school education. He suggested setting up Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence labs in all seven regional centres of NCERT.