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:
The four riders and their horses Sudipti Hajela (Chinski), Divyakriti Singh (Adrenalin Firfod), Hriday Cheda (Chemxpro Emerald) and Anush Agarwalla (Etro) recently clinched India’s first-ever gold medal for India in Equestrian Dressage.
Equestrian first made its appearance at the Asian Games in 1982 and the host India dominated the competition with three gold medals. After 41 days, Indian team clinched a medal recently.

Notes:
A new report reveals that tortoises or hard-shell turtles from India are traded across a more extensive global network compared to soft-shell turtles.
The former are primarily sought after as pets, while the latter is primarily traded for meat, within India. The illegally traded tortoise / hard-shell turtles were often found to be transported by air. Chennai emerged as the most central node in tortoise / hard-shell turtle trafficking, ranking as the top exporting and intermediary district.

Notes:
The Annual IAEA General Conference was held in Vienna. At this event, India announced its plans to generate 22 GW power through nuclear energy to achieve Net Zero.
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ajit Kumar Mohanty shared India’s ambitious plans to step up nuclear power generation during a meeting with IAEA Director General.

Notes:
A new Lancet Commission report highlights that women’s experiences with cancer prevention, care, and treatment are negatively influenced by societal gender imbalances, resulting in greater suffering from the disease despite similar cancer burdens as men.
The report, titled “Women, power, and cancer,” emphasizes that gender inequality not only affects women as patients but also impacts their interactions with the cancer healthcare system.

Notes:
The United Nations body ITU’s Study Group, during its meeting in Geneva, has endorsed India’s 6G Vision, during a recent meeting.
International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is responsible for developing international mobile telecommunication standards. IMT 2030, also known as 6G, is being developed by Working Party 5D of ITU-R Study Group 5.

Notes:
Gujarat has recently banned the Conocarpus plant because of its environmental and health hazards. This fast-growing exotic mangrove species, locally called as Saptaparni, has become a popular choice for increasing green cover in the state over the past few years.

Notes:
The Prime Minister inaugurated a special week-long initiative called ‘Sankalp Saptaah’ for Aspirational Blocks.
‘Sankalp Saptaah’ will be observed in all 500 Aspirational Blocks located in 329 Districts across the nation. The 5th year of the Aspirational District Programme was also marked during the event.

Notes:
Recently, a two-day UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime Ministerial Conference was held at Palermo in Italy.
It is organised by the Government of Italy and United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNDOC) Secretariat. Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai attended the conference to mark the 20th anniversary of United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crimes (UNTOC).

Notes:
Ruixiang Zhang, Assistant Professor, University of California, will be awarded with the 2023 SASTRA Ramanujan Prize for his outstanding contributions in mathematics.
The annual cash prize of USD 10,000 will be presented at an international conference in Number Theory during December 20 and December 22 at SASTRA University in Kumbakonam, the home town of mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.