Current Affairs Quiz - March, 2023

Notes:
The first Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) Regiment is being raised to enhance the Indian Army’s air defence and capacity development along the Northern Borders.
This regiment is equipped with the MRSAM weapon system, which has been indigenously developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

Notes:
The Kerala government launched robotic scavenger named ‘Bandicoot’, to clean sewages in temple town of Guruvayur.
It becomes the first state in the country to use robotic technology to clean all its commissioned manholes. It was launched under Guruvayur Sewerage Project in Thrissur district by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), as part of the 100-day action plan of the state government.

Notes:
National Science Day is celebrated in India on February 28th every year to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman.
It was observed for the first time in 1987. The day celebrates the contributions of scientists and creates awareness about the importance of science in everyday life. This discovery of Raman Scattering won Raman the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930, making him the first Indian to receive a Nobel Prize in a scientific field.

Notes:
The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has been granted approval by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for a new variant of the Hindustan 228-201 LW aircraft.
The recent DGCA approval will enable commercial pilots to fly the aircraft with a reduced qualification requirement, increasing the availability of pilots for the aircraft.

Notes:
India received the GSMA Government Leadership Award 2023 at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023.
The award recognized the Indian Government’s efforts in the development of the telecom sector. It also recognizes the regulatory mechanism policies targeting the mobile connectivity. Currently, 387 districts across India have access to 5G services.

Notes:
The SAMARTH (Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector) scheme is an umbrella skilling initiative that aims to provide incentives and create jobs in the textile industry.
It will be implemented until March 2024. The Indian Government is planning to rope in more industry partners to boost skill development under the SAMARTH scheme. This initiative is part of the steps taken by the government to make the textile sector worth 250 billion USD by the end of this decade from the present 150-155 billion USD.

Notes:
A report titled “More than a billion reasons: The urgent need to build universal social protection” was released recently by the International Labour Organization and UNICEF.
It revealed that only 26.4% of children between the ages of 0 and 15 are protected by social welfare programs. The report also found that 1.77 billion children aged 0 to 18 years do not have access to child or family cash benefits.

Notes:
Bola Tinubu has been recently elected as the President of Nigeria. The country’s current president, Muhammadu Buhari, will step down after serving two terms.
Tinubu is known to be a long-term political kingmaker. He helped the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari with two terms in office in 2015 and 2019. He served as a Logos governor for two terms after a military rule ended in the region.

Notes:
The Jerdon’s narrow-mouthed frog has been rediscovered by zoologists in the Western Ghats of India.
It was last studied by a British scientist in 1934 and has not been seen since. The frog is known for its long snout and shiny brown skin with spots. The species is classified as ‘Near Threatened’ in the IUCN List while researchers are campaigning for the frog to be reclassified as ‘Endangered’.

Notes:
According to the recently released Women, Business and the Law Index by the World Bank, although most countries have implemented laws to ensure gender equality, there is still a significant gap between men and women in terms of legal rights and provisions.
India’s score in the index on the life cycle of a working woman is at 74.4 out of a possible 100. As per the report, the laws affecting the Indian working woman’s pay and pension do not provide for equality with Indian men.