Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated India’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) school called as Santhigiri Vidyabhavan in Kerala’s capital city, Thiruvananthapuram.
The AI school is a result of a collaboration between iLearning Engines (ILE) USA and Vedhik eSchool.

Notes:
Simone Biles wins a record eighth all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships, a full decade after her first national title.
She won her first world title at the 2013 championships and she has won 25 medals at world championships, including 18 golds — higher than any men’s or women’s gymnasts in history.

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:
During a recent experiment, the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectroscope (APXS) on board the Pragyan rover of Chandrayaan-3 detected the presence of sulphur and other minor elements in the lunar South Pole region.
APXS instrument also carries radioactive sources that emit alpha particles and X-rays onto the surface sample.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited signed a long-term loan of up to 1.2 billion Indian rupees to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in India.
It is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and increase clean and low-cost energy supply to commercial and industrial customers.

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:
17-year-old D Gukesh took over as the country’s top-ranked player from Viswanathan Anand in FIDE’s monthly rankings list.
It has been 37 years since anyone other than Anand holding the top position. The five-time World champion is currently ranked ninth, a spot below Gukesh on the world list, is semi-retired from active chess.

Notes:
The Advance Pricing Agreement (APA) programme is an initiative for promoting an investor-friendly and non-adversarial tax regime in India.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has recently released the fourth and fifth annual APA reports. The reports present key data and statistics pertaining to the APA programme.

Notes:
In Athletics, India’s Avinash Sable qualified for his maiden Diamond League Final after finishing fifth in the men’s 3000m steeplechase race at the Xiamen Diamond League 2023 in China.
Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world champion, won the Xiamen track and field event with a meet record. India’s Neeraj Chopra (men’s javelin throw) and Murali Sreeshankar (men’s long jump) have already entered the Diamond League Final.

Notes:
Vijayawada Railway Station achieved the prestigious ‘Green Railway Station’ certification, receiving the highest Platinum rating from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), a division of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) founded in 2001. IGBC serves as India’s foremost certification body, offering services such as green building rating programs, certification, and training. They host the annual Green Building Congress and actively participate in global discussions on environmental issues. The station’s rating considers six key environmental categories: sustainable facilities, health and sanitation, energy and water efficiency, smart and green initiatives, and innovation. IGBC’s headquarters are located in Hyderabad.