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:
Madhya Pradesh is found to be the lightning hub of India with maximum flashes of 987,095 in 2022- 23 and highest deaths of 340 per year, according to the fourth annual lightning report.
It highlights that the country recorded more than 20 million lightning strikes in 2022-23, 60% increase in cloud-to-ground lightning from 2019-20. The Lightning Resilient India Campaign is a collaborative endeavour between the climate resilient observing systems promotion council (CROPC) and the India meteorological department (IMD).

Notes:
The 19th African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Environment ministers of the African continent have agreed to institute national and regional strategies to minimise environmental impacts in the extraction and processing of critical mineral resources.

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 DFL (Deutsche Fußball Liga) has entered into a collaboration with the Government of the State of Maharashtra, after a MoU was signed as part of the prestigious Shree Shiv Chhatarapati Awards ceremony in Pune, India.
The MoU lays out three core elements to support the advancement of football within the state of Maharashtra: improving the technical and sporting expertise at all levels within clubs, associations, colleges and schools; strengthening football structures across the Indian subcontinent; and specifically supporting the progression of football within the Maharashtra district.

Notes:
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) revenues for August 2023 have shown a growth of 11 per cent year-on-year as it stands at Rs 1.59 lakh crore.
The increase is due to increased compliance and reduced evasion. In August 2022, the collection from GST was Rs 1,43,612 crore. Out of the Rs 1.59 lakh crore GST collected, CGST accounted for Rs 28,328 crore, SGST for Rs 35,794 crore, IGST for Rs 83,251 crore, and cess for Rs 11,695 crore.

Notes:
On on 7 September 2023, West Bengal assembly has adopted a resolution to celebrate the first day of the Bengali calendar, Poila Baisakh, as “Bangla Divas (Bengal Day)”. This decision was made with 167 MLAs in favor and 62 against, with all 62 opposing the resolution being from the BJP. West Bengal Legislative Assembly also passed a resolution, officially designating “Banglar Mati Banglar Jol” as the state song of West Bengal.
Banglar Mati Banglar Jol is a Bengali patriotic song written by Rabindranath Tagore written in 1905 in support of the “Bangabhanga Rodh Movement” in Bengal, initiated by Tagore. He launched the “Raksha Bandhan Utsav” on 16 October 1905, aiming to unite Hindu and Muslim Bengalis who were protesting against the Partition of Bengal (1905). On that significant day, “Banglar Mati Banglar Jol” became the rallying cry of the movement, symbolizing unity and resilience. The musical notation for the song was provided by Indira Debi Chowdhurani.

Notes:
A new global data platform, Marine Sand Watch, developed by GRID-Geneva within the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), has unveiled that six billion tonnes of sand are being extracted annually from the world’s ocean floors, posing irreparable harm to benthic life.
The platform monitors sand, clay, silt, gravel, and rock dredging in marine environments, particularly in hotspots like the North Sea, Southeast Asia, and the East Coast of the United States.

Notes:
Divya Deshmukh recently clinched the women’s rapid title at the Tata Steel Chess India tournament.
The 17-year-old chess player from Nagpur earned the title of woman grandmaster in the year 2021 at the age of 15. She won the Asian Women’s Chess Championships title this year. She is currently ranked 7th in the list of the nation’s women’s players.