Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) has selected DSP Pension Fund Managers as the 11th fund manager permitted to manage retirement savings under the National Pension System (NPS).
PFRDA is looking to tap regional rural banks (RRBs) to enhance its reach to citizens across the country.

Notes:
Seventeen-year-old Indian sailor Neha Thakur secured a silver medal in the ILCA-4 dinghy event for girls in Asian Games.
The girl’s dinghy ILCA-4 category consists of 11 races and Neha finished with 32 total points. Her net score of 27 helped her earn the second spot behind gold medallist Noppassorn Khunboonjan of Thailand.

Notes:
The “Methane emissions in livestock and rice systems: Sources, quantification, mitigation and metrics” report was released recently by FAO.
It revealed that approximately 32% of methane emissions caused by human activities stem from microbial processes taking place during the enteric fermentation of ruminant livestock and the management of manure systems worldwide.

Notes:
Assam is encouraging pipe composting as an efficient method to transform biodegradable waste into fertilizer within two months, particularly emphasizing its adoption in rural areas.
This initiative is part of the ongoing Swachhata Hi Seva campaign, aimed at promoting sustainable waste management at the household level.

Notes:
The Ministry of Home Affairs has opened two more border tourist destinations ‘Marsemik La and Sko valley’ for tourists visiting Ladakh.
The previously restricted areas were close to the strategic Chang Chenmo sector north of Pangong lake in Ladakh. Tourists are allowed to trek through this high-altitude valley.

Notes:
The Indian Army, in partnership with the United Service Institution of India (USI), recently orgnised a hybrid panel discussion as part of Project Udbhav.
Project Udbhav, initiated by the Indian Army, is a program designed to reexamine the deep-rooted Indian traditions of statecraft and strategic thinking, drawing insights from ancient Indian texts on statecraft, warfare, diplomacy, and grand strategy.

Notes:
A recent study has highlighted that earthworms play an equivalent role in global food production to that of Russia, contributing to around 140 million tonnes of food annually.
If earthworms were considered a country, their food production would make them the fourth-largest global producer, trailing only behind Russia, which produced 150 million tonnes in 2022 and expects to produce 120 million tonnes this year.

Notes:
The two-day Technology and Bharatiya Bhasha Summit was organized as a part of the Bharatiya Bhasha Utsav, by the Union Ministry of Education in New Delhi.
The aim of the Summit was to facilitate a smooth transition from the current education ecosystem to one rooted in Indian languages, in line with the vision of NEP 2020 and to set the course for a technologically bright future for Indian languages in education.

Notes:
Aditya-L1 spacecraft has travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh km from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of earth’s influence, after the Mars Orbiter Mission.
The spacecraft will remain in a halo orbit around L1, about 1.5 million km from Earth, to observe the Sun’s corona and other aspects without interruptions.

Notes:
From October 1, online gaming companies will charge 28% GST on full value of bets, while offshore platforms would also be required to have GST registration to operate in India.
The notification was released by the Union Finance Ministry though many states are yet to pass amendments in their respective state GST Laws.