Current Affairs Quiz - October, 2023

Notes:
The second spaceport of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), will come up in about two years at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.
It will be dedicated exclusively for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs) developed by the private sector. About 2,000 acres has been acquired and handed over to ISRO.

Notes:
The World Meteorological Organization recently stated that climate change is causing an imbalance in the hydrological cycle and urged a fundamental change in policies to enhance monitoring.
The organization revealed that more than 50% of global catchment areas were witnessing deviations from typical river discharge patterns, with many of them being drier than usual, citing China’s Yangtze River as an example.

Notes:
As part of its Global Policy Agenda unveiled at Marrakesh, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has called for urgent support from members to increase its quota resources and to secure funding for the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and Resilience and Sustainability Trust (RST).
The PRGT and RST are concessional lending facilities of the IMF. The PRGT is available to low-income countries that are eligible for the IMF’s concessional financing for poverty reduction, while the RST aims to help low-income and vulnerable middle-income countries build resilience to climate change and other external risks.

Notes:
Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has decided to set up an e-commerce portal that will exclusively feature electric appliances with the highest efficiency ratings.
EESL is a joint venture of public sector undertakings (PSU) under the Ministry of Power. The objective of this exercise would be to create demand and encourage consumers to opt for electric cookers, fans, refrigerators and other devices that were rated five star and above.

Notes:
Armenia’s President Vahagn Khachaturyan has signed the ratification of the Rome Statute, recognising the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) despite Russian warnings.
ICC issued an arrest warrant for President Vladimir Putin over the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Armenia says joining the ICC would allow it to investigate war crimes by Azerbaijan after Baku’s offensive to retake Nagorno-Karabakh.

Notes:
According to the 15th annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index (MCGPI), India ranked 45th out of 47 countries. India’s overall index value increased from 44.4 in 2022 to 45.9 in 2023.
The improvement was primarily attributed to enhancements in the adequacy and sustainability sub-indices. India was ranked 41st out of 44 in 2022. The Netherlands’ retirement income system regained the top spot on the list, with Iceland and Denmark taking second and third places respectively. The report states that retirement income systems around the world are under pressure as never before.

Notes:
Central Banker Report Card has been issued by Global Finance on an annual basis since 1994. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Shaktikanta Das received the Award for being ranked ‘A+’ in the Global Finance- Central Banker Report Cards 2023 in Marakkesh city of Morocco.
The award recognizes those central bank governors whose strategies outperformed their peers through originality, creativity, and tenacity. Two other central bankers- Thomas J. Jordan of Switzerland and Nguyen Thi Hong of Vietnam earned an ‘A+’ grade.

Notes:
The 11th edition of the bilateral Military Exercise SAMPRITI-XI between India and Bangladesh has concluded. The exercise began at the Joint Training Node, Umroi in Meghalaya.
This exercise, alternatingly organised by both countries, signifies strong bilateral defence cooperation initiatives.

Notes:
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of Assam has officially opened the Leechubagan reservoir, which is a component of the South-Central Guwahati Water Supply Project.
This project’s primary objective is to ensure the provision of clean and safe drinking water to the residents of Guwahati.

Notes:
Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Dharmendra Pradhan, officially launched IndiaSkills 2023-24 and honored the winners of World Skills 2022. He called for increasing the number of participants to 2.5 million from 0.25 million last year,
IndiaSkills is the precursor to the WorldSkills, the largest skill competition in the world, held once every two years, conducted by WorldSkills International.