Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2023

Notes:
Union Minister of Home and Cooperation, Amit Shah addressed the ‘Cooperative Beneficiaries Conference’ in Bengaluru, Karnataka
The first cooperative society in the whole country was established in Gadag district of Karnataka in 1905. The Minister announced that one cooperative society will be formed in every panchayat of the country. NABARD, NDDB and the Ministry of Cooperation have prepared an action plan to form 2 lakh new such cooperative societies in three years.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN) has rolled out special packages of assistance for Green Tech, Rural Impact and Women-led startups.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin launched the initiative, which included funds earmarked under StartupTN’s flagship grant scheme, Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Grant Fund (TANSEED). It also announced a 50 per cent increase in grants for startups falling under special categories.  He also launched a MentorTN portal, under which budding startups can approach successful entrepreneurs, professionals and trusted subject matter experts.

Notes:
A new species of confuciusornithid bird being named ‘Confuciusornis shifan’ has been identified from a complete skeleton found in northeastern China.
The bird lived in present-day China during the Early Cretaceous epoch, some 119 million years ago. Confuciusornithidae is a clade of Early Cretaceous pygostylian birds and represents the earliest known toothless, beaked birds.

Notes:
Keralotsavam is the state-level Youth Festival of Kerala. It is coordinated by Kerala State Youth Welfare Board.
Palakkad emerged the overall champions of the state-level sports competitions held as a part of Keralotsavam. Kozhikode and Kannur stood in the second and third positions. The government provides support for setting up training grounds in all village panchayats.

Notes:
According to the latest UN survey, the Arab region registered a 12 per cent unemployment rate in 2022, which is the highest in the world.
Poverty measured against national lines also surged, affecting 130 million people in Arab countries. More than one-third of the region’s population is affected, excluding Libya and Gulf Cooperation Council countries. The survey showed an expected 3.4 per cent growth next year throughout the Arab region.

Notes:
The Centre has appointed Ajay Kumar Srivastava as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Indian Overseas Bank.
Partha Pratim Sengupta has demitted office as MD & CEO of the bank after his superannuation. Sanjay Vinayak Mudaliyar, Chief General Manager at Bank of Baroda is appointed as executive director in IOB. As of 30 September 2022, the Government of India held 96.38% in IOB.

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:
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has floated draft control orders (QCOs) for 16 products including air coolers, bicycles and bottled water dispensers.
The items under these orders cannot be produced, sold, imported and stocked unless they have the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) mark. These orders are issued in consonance with the WTO (World Trade Organisation) Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).

Notes:
Canada has banned most foreigners from buying Homes, to make more homes available to locals facing a housing crunch.
The ban prohibits people who are not Canadian citizens or permanent residents from buying residential properties, and imposes a C$10,000 fine on those who breach it.

Notes:
The government kept the interest rate unchanged at 7.1 per cent for the subscribers of the General Provident Fund and other similar funds.
In the previous quarter ended December 31, the GPF interest was at the same 7.1 per cent. The rate is valid from January 1, 2023, to March 31, 2023, as per the finance ministry said in a notification.