Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
Goa Shipyard Ltd and Kenya Shipyard Ltd signed an MoU for capacity building and collaboration in ship design and construction.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Defence Aden Bare Duale held bilateral talks in New Delhi to promote military industry cooperation and deepen maritime security in the Indian Ocean Region.

Notes:
Recently, Shinon Meeras, a centre showcasing the history of Dard-Shina tribes, was opened to the public at the Gurez Valley in Kashmir.
Dard is a strong community of around 38000 people living in the valley, which speaks the rapidly fading Shina language. The first such cultural centre has been curated and developed by the Indian Army and the Lieutenant-Governor’s administration.

Notes:
Rebel soldiers in Central African nation Gabon claim to have ousted their President Ali Bongo Ondimba.
Rebel officers in the oil-rich central African state of Gabon announced they had seized power following disputed elections in which President Ali Bongo Ondimba, in power since 2009, had been declared victorious.

Notes:
The Indian Government formally declared August 30 as the National Small Industry Day, a year after the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries announced a comprehensive policy package for small businesses.
The day recognises the contribution of small industries to the country’s growth and is an opportunity for the central and state governments to encourage and support small industries.

Notes:
Telangana Chief Innovation Officer (CIO) Dr Shanta Thoutam received the World Innovation Award at the first BRICS Innovation Forum hosted in Moscow.
The award is given for outstanding contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal-4 that ensures inclusive and equitable quality education and promotes lifelong opportunities for all. The award was instituted by World Organisation for Development.

Notes:
Koraput Kalajeera Rice, known as the ‘Prince of Rice,’ recently received Geographical Indications status. Indigenous to Odisha’s Koraput district, this aromatic rice has been cultivated for generations by local farmers. Resembling coriander seeds, it boasts excellent nutritional and cooking qualities. The rice, grown by the region’s tribal communities for thousands of years, is celebrated for its black color, enticing aroma, and rich taste. Traditional wisdom suggests it aids memory, diabetes control, raises hemoglobin levels, and boosts metabolism. Moreover, this fragrant grain possesses various medicinal properties, including being antispasmodic, stomachic, carminative, antibacterial, astringent, and sedative. It thrives in areas like Tolla, Patraput, Pujariput, Baliguda, and Mohuli in Koraput district.

Notes:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched a set of innovative digital payment products during the Global Fintech Fest 2023 in Mumbai.
‘Credit Line on UPI’ enables pre-sanctioned credit lines from banks via the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), providing users with access to instant credit. ‘UPI LITE X’ facilitates offline payments, while ‘UPI Tap & Pay’ enhances digital payments through Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for QR code-based transactions. ‘Hello! UPI – Conversational Payments on UPI’ allows voice-enabled UPI payments in Hindi and English through UPI apps, telecom calls, and IoT devices.

Notes:
A private company, Jaivik Shree Farmers Producers Company (JSFPC), applied for the GI tag for ‘Kala Jeera Rice’ of Koraput, Odisha.
The M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Jeypore, Odisha, has raised concerns over potentially excluding local farmers from its benefits. MSSRF argued that only government agencies should apply for GI tags to ensure broad benefits to the farming community.

Notes:
India, under its G20 presidency, has introduced two initiatives that have gained consensus within the G20 Agriculture Deputies Group.
The first initiative is the “Deccan High-Level Principles on Food Security and Nutrition, 2023,” and the second is an international research initiative focused on millets and ancient grains. Both initiatives are expected to feature prominently in the G20 outcome document.

Notes:
India recently presented its PM GatiShakti National Master Plan at the ‘2023 Regional Cooperation and Integration Conference’ organized by the Asian Development Bank in Georgia.
The conference aimed to enhance regional cooperation through economic corridor development (ECD). The PM GatiShakti platform offers data-driven decision-making tools and promotes holistic development around critical project locations.