Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Textiles cleared 15 Research & Development projects worth around INR 32.25 crores across key strategic areas.
The projects are from various categories include Speciality fibre, Protective textiles, Geo-textiles, Medical Textiles, Sustainable Textiles, and Textiles for Building Materials.

Notes:
The National Stock Exchange of India (NSE) has emerged as the world’s largest derivatives exchange in 2022, in terms of the number of contracts traded.
This is the fourth consecutive year when the exchange earned the top spot, according to the Futures Industry Association (FIA). In addition, the exchange was ranked third in the equity segment by the number of trades in 2022.

Notes:
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has started exports of aviation gasoline, which is used to operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and small planes.
For the first time in the nation’s history, India is exporting fuel. The first consignment of 80 barrels of aviation gas named ‘AV gas 100 LL’ was shipped from the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to Papua New Guinea.

Notes:
In New Zealand, deadly flood emergency continued after heavy rainfall hit the country’s north island, causing landslides and flash floods.
At least three people have died and one is missing after New Zealand’s largest city Auckland experienced its wettest day. The nation’s weather forecaster, MetService, warned of more severe weather across Auckland.

Notes:
Researchers from tech giant Google have created Artificial Intelligence that can generate minutes-long musical pieces from text prompts.
The AI can even transform a whistled or hummed melody into other instruments.  The model is called MusicLM, and the company uploaded a bunch of samples that it produced using the model.

Notes:
The GST collection in January surged to over ₹ 1.55 lakh crore, second highest-ever collection recorded.
This is for the third time, in the current financial year that the GST collection has crossed ₹ 1.50 lakh crore mark. The highest collection so far is the ₹ 1.68 lakh crore gross mop-up reported in April 2022.

Notes:
Sri Lanka marked its 75th independence anniversary on 4^th February 2023. Several activists, Buddhists and Christian clergy announced a boycott of the celebration in the capital.
A group of activists began a silent protest in the capital, condemning government’s independence celebration and failure to ease the economic burden. University students also attempted a protest march.

Notes:
For the next fiscal year 2023-24, the Union Budget has pegged disinvestment revenue at Rs 51,000 crore.
The government has also scaled down the disinvestment target for the current fiscal to Rs 50,000 crore, from Rs 65,000 crore budgeted last year. The Government expects divestment processes initiated in the current fiscal to be closed by the next fiscal year, including IDBI, Shipping Corporation of India and NMDC Steel.

Notes:
The state government of Punjab notify a policy to meter and charge groundwater extraction by industries and other establishments.
Anyone with an existing bore-well or digging afresh will have to take permission from Punjab Water Regulation and Development Authority (PWRDA). There will be exemptions including farmers using water for agriculture purposes, places of worship, drinking and domestic Water Supply Scheme of Government, among others.

Notes:
Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said while presenting the Union Budget 2023-24 that the Centre will work in mission mode to eliminate sickle cell anaemia by 2047.
This programme will include awareness creation and universal screening of 7 crore people in 0 – 40 years age group in affected tribal areas and counselling through collaboration of central ministries and state governments.