Current Affairs Quiz - February, 2023

Notes:
The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced an all-13-member female panel of match officials for the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
The 2023 Women’s T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in next month in South Africa. The Indian trio of GS Lakshmi, Vrinda Rathi, and Janani Narayanan are included in the group.

Notes:
The United States and the European Union have signed an agreement to collaborate on “responsible advancements” in Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The agreement aims to speed up and enhance the use of artificial intelligence to improve agriculture, healthcare, emergency response, climate forecasting and the electric grid.

Notes:
Indian courts in 2022 awarded a 165 death sentences, the highest in over two decades, according to the Annual Death Penalty Report.
It was published by Project 39A, an advocacy group with the National Law University. Uttar Pradesh accounted for the highest death row inmate population (100), followed by Gujarat (61) and Jharkhand (46).

Notes:
Indian President Droupadi Murmu graced the opening of Gardens of Rashtrapati Bhavan in Udyan Utsav 2023.
The event includes opening of the Rashtrapati Bhavan gardens for general public once a year. The iconic Mughal Gardens at the Rashtrapati Bhavan was renamed Amrit Udyan to commemorate India’s 75th anniversary of independence.

Notes:
Air Marshal AP Singh has assumed charge as the new Vice Chief of the Indian Air Force. The Air Marshal was commissioned into the fighter stream of the IAF in 1984.
He has more than 5,000 hours of flying experience. Prior to assuming his current appointment, he was the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief at Central Air Command. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

Notes:
Hibbertopterus lamsdelli is a new species of Giant Sea Scorpion. It belongs to Hibbertopteridae, an extinct group of aquatic arthropods in the Order Eurypterida. Eurypterids are better known as sea scorpions.
The species existed during the Kasimovian age, between 307 and 303 million years ago. Its diet included small crustaceans, ostracodes, conchostracans, invertebrate larvae and gastropod eggs.

Notes:
The President of India Droupadi Murmu addressed the 31st Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women in Delhi.
The theme of the programme is ‘Sashakt Nari Sashakt Bharat’ aimed at acknowledging and celebrating the stories of women who have excelled and paved their journey to leave a mark. NCW was founded in January 1992 as a statutory body under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.

Notes:
Netherlands emerged as India’s third largest exports destination after the US and UAE during April-December 2022.
The change is due to a surge in shipment of goods such as petroleum products, electronic items, chemicals, and aluminium goods. India’s trade surplus with the Netherlands has also increased from USD 1.5 billion in 2017 to USD 12.3 billion in 2022.

Notes:
Jharkhand governor Ramesh Bais sent the ‘1932 Khatiyan Bill’ back to the Hemant Soren government for reconsideration.
The Governor described it to be violative of Article 16 of the Constitution and court rulings. The state government had passed the ‘Jharkhand definition of local persons and for extending the consequential, social, cultural and other benefits to such local persons Bill, 2022’.

Notes:
The Centre has initiated the process to block 138 betting and 94 loan-lending Chinese apps on an emergency basis.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has issued blocking orders based on emergency request by the Nodal officer of Ministry of Home Affairs. The move was taken after confirming that these apps contain material that is prejudicial to sovereignty of India under Section 69 of IT Act.