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:
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:
PhonePe has entered into stock broking business with the launch of a new mobile application called ‘Share(dot)Market’, under its subsidiary PhonePe Wealth Broking.
It provides market intelligence and quantitative research-based WealthBaskets, a scalable technology platform. It will be available as a mobile app and a dedicated web platform, enabling retail investors to buy stocks, engage in intra-day trades, buy curated WealthBaskets and mutual funds.

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:
Assam-based Oncologist Ravi Kannan has been named one of the four winners of the 2023 Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel prize.
He is a recipient of India’s fourth-highest civilian award Padma Shri and the director of Assam’s Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (CCHRC).

Notes:
The Union government appointed Jaya Verma Sinha Chairperson of the Railway Board, becomes the first woman to head the Board.
Jaya Verma Sinha succeeded Anil Kumar Lahoti as chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board. Sinha is a seasoned member of the Indian Railway Management Services (IRMS).

Notes:
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) registered a growth of 7.8 percent in the April-June quarter of the current fiscal (2023-2024), compared to a growth of 6.1 percent in the previous January-March quarter of fiscal 2022-23.
According to official data shared by the National Statistical Office, India’s nominal GDP or GDP at Current Prices in the first quarter showed a growth rate of 8 percent as compared to 27.7 percent in the previous year’s first quarter.

Notes:
10 billion UPI transactions were performed for the first time in August in India, according to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which runs the real-time payments platform.
The real-time mobile payment platform is likely to end August with around 10.5 billion transactions with the cumulative value crossing the Rs 15-lakh-crore figure for the second consecutive month.

Notes:
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched the Mera Bill-Mera Adhikar Scheme from Gurugram on September 1.
The scheme will be launched in the states of Assam, Gujarat, and Haryana; and the UTs of Puducherry, Daman & Diu, and Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Two bumper prizes of ₹1 crore each will be given away every quarter to the winners of Mera Bill Mera Adhikaar’.