Current Affairs Quiz - July, 2023

Notes:
The Kaas Plateau, situated in the Western Ghats and recognized as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site since 2012, derived its name from the Kaasa tree (Elaeocarpus glandulosus), also known as Kaas Pathar in Marathi, belonging to the rudraksha family.
A recent research conducted on sediment samples from a seasonal lake located in the Kaas Plateau of the Satara district in Maharashtra, India, has revealed a significant change in the Indian Summer Monsoons.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet has granted approval for amendments to the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act,1957.
These amendments will enable the commercial mining of several minerals, including lithium, as well as beryllium, titanium, niobium, tantalum, and zirconium. Consequently, the ban on commercial mining of these six critical minerals will be lifted.

Notes:
Odisha announced that it will build 2,000 meeting halls as part of the Mukhyamantri Sabha Gruha Scheme in western Odisha.
The state is preparing to face both Assembly and general elections in a year. Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several projects ₹33.58 crore.

Notes:
India and France will extend their  defence cooperation in advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine and an engine for the Indian Multi Role Helicopter (IMRH).
The helicopter is being designed and developed by the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

Notes:
U.K. officially signed accession protocol for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Entry into force of the agreement will take place once the UK and CPTPP Parties have finished their legislative processes.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is expected to issue a standard operating procedure for banks to issue proofs of inward remittances for exporters.
It aims to tide over the hiccups faced by exporters in the rupee-based trading mechanism for foreign trade.

Notes:
By November 2024, a functional factory will be established in Vadodara, Gujarat, where the production of the first Indian-manufactured C295 military transport aircraft will commence from 2026 onwards.
The facility will resemble the extensive Airbus factory located in Seville, Spain, which spans over 1.2 million square meters.

Notes:
Facebook parent company Meta has unveiled a generative artificial intelligence (AI) model called “CM3leon”. It possesses the ability to generate both images from text and text from images.
The AI model CM3Leon is also distinguished by being one of the first image generators capable of generating captions for images, laying the groundwork for more capable image-understanding models going forward.

Notes:
India and Japan have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) concerning semiconductor development, including aspects such as design, manufacturing, equipment research, and talent development.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) focuses on five key areas, namely semiconductor design, manufacturing, equipment research, talent development, and enhancing the resilience of the semiconductor supply chain.

Notes:
Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud has issued a directive to judges, advising them against using their protocol facilities in a way that might inconvenience others or lead to public criticism of the judiciary.
He cautioned that judges should not use the protocol privileges to create a sense of privilege that separates them from society or displays their power or authority.