Current Affairs Quiz - September, 2023

Notes:
The Valkyrie, a next-generation drone, is a prototype, has been introduced by the United States military force.
It will serve as a supplement to the fleet of traditional fighter jets. The robot is powered into flight by a rocket engine and it can fly a distance equal to the width of China. It has a stealthy design and is capable of carrying missiles that can hit enemy targets far beyond its visual range.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Fourth Partner Energy Private Limited signed a long-term loan of up to 1.2 billion Indian rupees to construct and operate a 25-megawatt solar photovoltaic-based power plant in the state of Tamil Nadu in India.
It is expected to generate about 50.7 gigawatt-hours of electricity annually and increase clean and low-cost energy supply to commercial and industrial customers.

Notes:
Madhya Pradesh is found to be the lightning hub of India with maximum flashes of 987,095 in 2022- 23 and highest deaths of 340 per year, according to the fourth annual lightning report.
It highlights that the country recorded more than 20 million lightning strikes in 2022-23, 60% increase in cloud-to-ground lightning from 2019-20. The Lightning Resilient India Campaign is a collaborative endeavour between the climate resilient observing systems promotion council (CROPC) and the India meteorological department (IMD).

Notes:
A total of 48 African countries have agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.
It was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Notes:
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to plant at least 10,000 trees within a month in Uttarakhand.
This direction was s part of compensatory tree plantation to make up for hundreds of trees felled during construction of a road from Simli to Gwaldam. There were petitions about construction of a road in the fragile and sensitive mountains of Chamoli district of Uttarakhand.

Notes:
The Indian Government formally declared August 30 as the National Small Industry Day, a year after the Ministry of Small-Scale Industries announced a comprehensive policy package for small businesses.
The day recognises the contribution of small industries to the country’s growth and is an opportunity for the central and state governments to encourage and support small industries.

Notes:
10 billion UPI transactions were performed for the first time in August in India, according to data from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), which runs the real-time payments platform.
The real-time mobile payment platform is likely to end August with around 10.5 billion transactions with the cumulative value crossing the Rs 15-lakh-crore figure for the second consecutive month.

Notes:
Bhaderwah Rajmash and Sulai honey of Doda and Ramban districts of Jammu and Kashmir, have been granted Geographical Indication (GI) tags.
In 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gifted organic Sulai honey to Queen Elizabeth during his visit to Britain.

Notes:
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) launched the “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme under which corporates are invited to fund amenities at monuments from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds.
The aim of “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme is to enhance the visitor experience at centrally protected monuments, improve amenities, and bolster the culture and heritage value of the country.

Notes:
NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) recently captured an image of India’s Chandrayaan-3 lander. Launched in 2009, the LRO’s primary mission is to create a 3D map of the Moon’s surface from a polar orbit. Equipped with seven science instruments, including a powerful telescope and camera system that can discern details as small as 2.5 meters across, the LRO has played a pivotal role in lunar geology, mineralogy, and environmental studies. It orbits the Moon in an eccentric polar mapping orbit. One of its remarkable instruments is a laser altimeter, which measures reflection times to produce precise 3D maps of the lunar surface. The spacecraft also carries instruments designed to explore dark craters for signs of water ice and a temperature sensor that uncovered the coldest spot in the solar system.