Current Affairs Quiz - August, 2023

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has kept the policy rate unchanged at 6.5% in the recent monetary policy committee meeting.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das retained FY24 GDP growth projections at 6.5%, but raised the CPI inflation forecast for FY24 to 5.4%.

Notes:
Recently, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy provided financial aid to qualified individuals under the ‘YSR Kalyanamasthu and YSR Shaadi Tohfa’ programs.
The financial assistance is provided to parents from poor financial backgrounds to help them perform their children’s marriage after their education. The YSR Kalyanamasthu is meant for the girls belonging to SC, ST, BC and Minorities, disabled, construction worker families, while the YSR Shaadi Tohfa is for the Muslim girls.

Notes:
Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud announced the launch of ‘SuSwagatam’, an online system for generating entry passes to the Supreme Court.
The new initiative eliminates the need for physical passes and long queues, ensuring easier access to the court premises.

Notes:
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has found irregularities in the awarding of projects by agencies implementing central government-funded highway projects.
NHAI’s decision to opt for an elevated carriageway on the Haryana portion of the expressway has pushed up the construction cost to Rs 251 crore per km from the originally approved Rs 18.2 crore per km. NHAI is building the expressway in question under the Bharatmala programme.

Notes:
According to Elephant Census-2023, Karnataka leads the country in the total number of elephants. Elephant counts in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have experienced a minor rise, while numbers in Kerala have nearly reduced by half, based on the recent Elephant Population Estimates shared by the southern Indian states.
Specialists believe the populations remain stable and in good health, suggesting that the decline is due to migration.

Notes:
Saudi Arabia issued nearly USD 9.6 billion in local sukuk following early redemptions. The Sukuk that underwent early redemption were originally scheduled to mature in 2024, 2025, and 2026.
The buyback represents the largest early purchase transaction arranged by National Debt Management Center (NDMC).

Notes:
The tropical storm Greg has reached near Hawaii state of the United States which is already reeling under the devastating impact of wildfire.
Hurricane Dora created high gusty winds over Maui recently and complicated the wildfire problem. It also became a typhoon, and was the second tropical system on record to remain at hurricane strength across the eastern, central and western Pacific basins.

Notes:
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that the historic Ramgarh Dam here will be filled with water of the Isarda Dam under the East Rajasthan Canal project.
Under the project, 53 dams of Dausa, Sawai Madhopur, Karauli, Bharatpur and Alwar districts will be connected with the project to provide water.

Notes:
India’s first long-range revolver, Prabal has been recently launched at the Small Arms Factory (SAF). It was manufactured by state-owned enterprise Advanced Weapons and Equipment India (AWEIL).
The revolver has a range of 50 metres, which is double the range of other revolvers in the market. It is the first in the country that has side wing cylinder, which makes trigger pull easy. ‘Prabal’ is made with metal injection mould technology.

Notes:
‘SEACAT 2023’ is a multilateral, multi-platform exercise including ashore and at-sea training evolutions that emphasizes real-world engagements to enhance cooperation and maritime security capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
Indian Naval Ship Kulish, a guided missile Corvette of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) at Port Blair visited Singapore to take part in the multinational exercise SEACAT 2023.