Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
An Se-young defeated Carolina Marin to become the Republic of Korea’s first women’s singles world champion.
The world number one played in her 11th final from 12 tournaments this year. Kunlavut Vitidsarn made history by becoming Thailand’s first men’s singles world champion after a final against Naraoka Kodai. He is now the sixth man to win both junior and senior world singles titles.

Notes:
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu released a postage stamp in memory of Dadi Prakashmani, former chief of Brahma Kumaris at Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre.
This stamp was released under the ‘My Stamp’ initiative of the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications to mark the 16th death anniversary of Dadi Prakashmani.

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:
A total of 48 African countries have agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.
It was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Notes:
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya M Scindia inaugurated Utkela Airport and a direct flight between Utkela and Bhubaneshwar.
Utkela airport is owned by the Government of Odisha. It has been developed as a regional airport under the UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Government of India at a cost of Rs. 31.07 Crores.

Notes:
The Government of India has decided to organise a literacy week from 1st September to 8th September 2023 to celebrate International Literacy Day.
UNESCO will celebrate International Literacy Day (ILD) on 8 September 2023 under the theme ‘Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies’.

Notes:
SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages Abadi and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) Scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj has been conferred with the prestigious National Award for e-Governance 2023 (Gold) for Application of Emerging Technologies for Providing Citizen Centric Services.
It was granted at the 26th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) organized by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India in Indore.

Notes:
Meghalaya government has adopted AI-enabled robotic technology to safeguard Umiam Lake, a prominent tourist attraction. Umiam Lake, also known as Barapani Lake, is located 15 km north of Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong, surrounded by lush East Khasi hills. Formed in 1965 for hydroelectric power generation, it resulted from the Umiam Umtru Hydroelectric Power Project. The lake primarily draws water from the confluence of Umkhrah and Umshvrpi streams, forming the Wah Ro-ro stream. With a catchment area spanning 220 square km, including Shillong, it offers water sports and adventure activities, making it a favored destination in Meghalaya.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has approved the Scheme for Viability Gap Funding (VGF) aimed at fostering the development of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
This scheme aspires to generate 4,000 MWh of BESS projects by 2030-31, backed by up to 40% capital cost support in the form of VGF. the scheme seeks to provide clean, reliable, and cost-effective electricity to citizens. With an initial outlay of Rs. 9,400 crores, it aims to achieve a Levelized Cost of Storage (LCoS) ranging from Rs. 5.50-6.60 per kWh.

Notes:
The Cabinet has granted approval for an allocation of Rs. 1164.53 crore for the Industrial Development Scheme (IDS) 2017 in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The IDS 2017 was initially introduced in 2018 with a financial outlay of Rs. 131.90 crore, which was fully utilized by the fiscal year 2021-22. To fulfil obligations until 2028-29, an additional fund was required, prompting the Cabinet’s approval. These measures aim to stimulate industrial growth and create job opportunities.