Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2023

Notes:
India’s agricultural and processed food products exports rose by 16 per cent in the first eight months (April-November) of the current financial year 2022-23 on an annual basis.
For the year 2022-23, an export target of $23.56 billion has been fixed for the agricultural and processed food products basket. At present, the agricultural exports attained 74 per cent of its annual export target.

Notes:
The President of India, Droupadi Murmu, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of article 77 of the Constitution amended the rules governing E-sports.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Sports Ministry are asked to include ‘e-Sports as part of multi-sports events’.

Notes:
Fiscal Deficit is the difference between the total revenue and total expenditures of a country in a year.
The Fiscal Deficit at the end of November touched 59 per cent of the full year budget estimate. According to data released by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA), the fiscal deficit was ₹978,154 crore in the April-November period 2022-23.

Notes:
The Assam Cabinet decided to merge four districts with existing ones and redraw boundaries in 14 places.
The decision was taken a day ahead of the Election Commission’s (EC) deadline on starting the delimitation exercise for assembly and parliamentary seats. EC earlier announced fresh delimitation of 126 assembly and 14 parliamentary seats and banned creation of new administrative units.

Notes:
The new integrated food security Scheme was rolled out with effect from 1 January 2023. It would provide free food grains to 81.35 crore beneficiaries under National Food Security Act (NFSA).
The new scheme will subsume two current food subsidy schemes of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution namely the Food Subsidy to FCI for NFSA, and Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states.

Notes:
The Union Railways Ministry has rolled out a five-pronged energy efficiency plan to become carbon-neutral by 2030.
The policy is broadly focuses on five action points namely sustainable buildings, cloud-based data monitoring and management portal, energy efficiency in equipment and appliances, power quality and restoration, and capacity building and awareness.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) is operating ‘DRDO Industry Academia- Ramanujan Centre of Excellence’.
Initially it was established by DRDO while IIT Madras has converted into a ‘Centre of Excellence,’ an interdisciplinary research group that brings in faculty and researchers. This centre conducts direct research in advanced technologies for defence and security.

Notes:
India’s unemployment rate reached a 16-month high of 8.3 percent in December 2022 according to a report by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).
CMIE added that the increase was partly due to the increase in labour participation rate.  The urban unemployment rate increased to 10.09 percent in December while the rural unemployment rate was marginally lower at 7.44 percent. At 37.4 percent, Haryana reported the highest unemployment rate among states, followed by Rajasthan at 28.5 percent and Delhi at 20.8 percent.

Notes:
The second phase of the Sari Festival ‘VIRAASAT’- celebrating 75 hand-woven Saris of India is hosted at Handloom Haat, Janpath, New Delhi.
The Ministry of Textiles is organizing the festival, while the first phase was held in December 2022. Handloom saris drawn from several exotic locations of India including Jamdani, Ikat, Pochampally, Chanderi, Lalitpuri and Patola are on display and sale at the exhibition.

Notes:
A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court has upheld by a 4-1 majority the Centre’s 2016 decision to withdraw from circulation currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denominations.
The majority, comprising Justices S Abdul Nazeer, B R Gavai, A S Bopanna, V Ramasubramanian, held that the Centre’s notification was valid and satisfied the test of proportionality. Justice BV Nagarathna in her dissenting view held that though demonetisation was well-intentioned and well thought of, it has to be declared unlawful on legal grounds.