Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
The Valkyrie, a next-generation drone, is a prototype, has been introduced by the United States military force.
It will serve as a supplement to the fleet of traditional fighter jets. The robot is powered into flight by a rocket engine and it can fly a distance equal to the width of China. It has a stealthy design and is capable of carrying missiles that can hit enemy targets far beyond its visual range.

Notes:
Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC) has recommended Karnataka to release 5,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days.
While Tamil Nadu sought 24,000 cusecs to be given, Karnataka had indicated it would be able to supply 3,000 cusecs.

Notes:
The Gujarat government has increased the reservations for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the state’s panchayats and urban local bodies from 10% to 27%.
This decision was made based on recommendations of the K.S. Jhaveri Commission, which was formed based on a 2022 Supreme Court order on deciding the level of OBC quotas in Gujarat.

Notes:
As 42 per cent workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme still not eligible for Aadhaar-based payment system (ABPS), the deadline for enabling Aadhaar-based payment for MGNREGA workers was extended till December 31
Earlier, the deadline was September 1 and this is the fifth extension by the Centre. This was announced by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Notes:
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council has reconstituted two of its groups of ministers (GoMs) tasked with identifying necessary System Reforms to curb evasion and analysing the revenue trends from the 6-year-old indirect tax regime.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar is back at the helm of the GoM on GST System Reforms, replacing his colleague Devendra Fadnavis.

Notes:
The birth centenary of the eminent physicist Alladi Ramakrishnan is being celebrated in December 2023.
He founded MATSCIENCE, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), in Chennai, and served as its Director until his retirement in 1983 at the age of sixty. The Institute will pay homage to its Founder-Director, by conducting The Alladi Ramakrishnan Centenary Conference at its campus in Taramani, Chennai.

Notes:
Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur announced that 1000 Khelo India Centres will be established within a year in the country.
It will not only provide employment opportunities to former athletes but also give budding sportspersons a chance to take guidance from the veterans. To commemorate the National Sports Day, over 3500 events were observed across the nation.

Notes:
In a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Cabinet approved the formation of fact-checking units to tackle ‘fake news syndicates’.
The government would introduce legislation against the propagation of fake news and propose punishment for the spread of fake news.

Notes:
The seventh and last stealth frigate of Project 17A, Mahendragiri, was launched at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL) in Mumbai.
Under Project 17A, a total of seven ships were constructed, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. , Mumbai and three at Garden Reach Ship Builders Limited (GRSE), Kolkata.

Notes:
Recently, scientists from IIT Roorkee made a discovery by characterizing dinosaur fossils from the Middle Jurassic period, unearthed in the Thar Desert near the Jaisalmer Basin, by the Geological Survey of India. The fossils belong to a species known as Tharosaurus indicus, a member of the Dicraeosauridae family within the superfamily Diplodocoidea. These fossils represent the first dicraeosaurid sauropods ever found in India and are approximately 167 million years old, making them the world’s oldest known diplodocoid fossils.
The scientists coined the name Tharosaurus indicus, drawing from “Tharo” (referring to the Thar desert), “sauros” (Greek for lizard), and “indicus” (indicating its Indian origin). These dinos were distinct within their family, characterized by smaller size and shorter necks and tails compared to their long-necked sauropod counterparts. Sauropods originated during the Jurassic period around 200 million years ago and were a dominant group of dinosaurs, surviving until the late Cretaceous period, when dinosaurs met their demise. While dicraeosaurid fossils have been found in other parts of the world, this discovery sheds new light on prehistoric India’s biodiversity.