Current Affairs Quiz - January, 2023

Notes:
The UN estimates that over half of the projected increase in the global population between 2022 and 2050 to be concentrated in just eight countries: the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.
China’s population shrank by 850,000 in 2022 compared to a year ago, according to data released by the National Statistics Bureau.

Notes:
The Chhattisgarh government has begun with road construction work in Pudaang village. The road will connect it with rest of the state for the first time since India’s Independence.
The Pudang village is surrounded by forests and valleys. Its remote location has been a challenging task for road construction. Residents of the village travelled to Chhattisgarh through Jharkhand border.

Notes:
The National Aquifer Mapping and Management programme, which is aimed at delineating aquifer and water availability, is set to be completed in one year.
The Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti inaugurated a three-day conference on ‘Water Reclamation and Reuse’ organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) and the International Water Association (IWA). The aquifer programme would help develop plans for groundwater management.

Notes:
India defeated Sri Lanka by the largest ever margin of 317 runs in the last ODI and clinched the series by 3-0.
Indian team broke the record for largest victory (by runs) in ODIs at the final match of the series in Thiruvananthapuram. India broke New Zealand’s record of 290 runs. India posted a score of 390 in fifty overs and the Sri Lanka run could only reach 73.

Notes:
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG),  have reported the first evidence of the presence of solitary waves or distinct electric field fluctuations in the Martian magnetosphere.
The study of these waves is crucial as they directly control particle energization, plasma loss, transport, etc., through wave-particle interactions. Despite several missions to Mars, the presence of solitary waves in the Martian magnetosphere has never been reported earlier.

Notes:
The United States supplies Apache attack helicopters to India. The first fuselage out of six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, which is the main body of an aircraft, was dispatched by TBAL to Arizona in the U.S. for final assembly.
The first fuselage for the Indian Army’s contract for six AH-64E Apache attack helicopters has rolled out of the Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) facility in Hyderabad. It is the Joint Venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and aircraft manufacturer Boeing.

Notes:
The Statehood Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura is celebrated on January 21. This year marks the 51st foundation year for the three states.
They attained statehood under the North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act of 1971. Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, Meghalaya was made an autonomous state in Assam through the Assam (Meghalaya) Reorganization Act, of 1969.

Notes:
The Constitutional Conduct Group, which includes nearly 100 former civil servants, has written to President Droupadi Murmu protesting the mega-infrastructure project in the Great Nicobar Island.
The Union Environment Ministry gave clearance for the diversion of 130.75 sq. km. of forest in Great Nicobar Island for a ₹72,000-crore project that includes a trans-shipment port, an airport, a power plant and a greenfield township. The project threatens to displace the ‘extremely vulnerable’ Shompen tribe.

Notes:
Cetaceans, the marine mammal group encompassing whales, dolphins and porpoises, evolved around 50 million years ago.
A New research reveals the genes that allowed whales to grow to giant sizes. These four genes helped in fostering great size and also in mitigating disadvantageous consequences including higher cancer risk and lower reproductive output.

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik released the publication titled ‘Hockey & India — A Golden Legacy’ book by Sportstar on Indian hockey.
With 192 pages of old and new pictures from 1928 to the present, the book is a collector’s edition for public in general and fans of Indian sports in particular.