DAILY GK 24,25 JAN

 DAILY GK 24,25 JAN 

1.              INDIAN NAVY CONDUCTED AMPHEX 2023

·                The Indian Navy (IN) conducted a six-day-long mega military exercise “AMPHEX 2023”, the largest biennial tri-services amphibious exercise involving the Indian Army (IA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) near Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh

·                The exercise AMPHEX 2023 took place amid growing concerns over China’s increasing military forays into the Indian Ocean, a region considered as the backyard of the Indian Navy.

 

2.              WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 2023 SUMMIT HELD IN DAVOS, SWITZERLAND

·                The World Economic Forum (WEF) held its 53rd Annual Meeting, “World Economic Forum—2023” [Davos Summit], from January 16 to 20, 2023, in the highest city in Europe, Davos, Switzerland.

·                The theme of the WEF Summit 2023 is “Cooperation in a Fragmented World.”

·                According to the non-profit organisation Oxfam India’s report, “Survival of the Richest: The India Supplement,” the top 1% of Indians currently own more than 40.5% of the nation’s entire wealth in 2021, while the bottom 50% of the population (700 million) has only about 3% of the nation’s total wealth.

 

3.              VIKRAM DEV DUTT APPOINTMENT  DIRECTOR GENERAL OF DGCA

·                The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, has approved the appointment of Vikram Dev Dutt as Director General(DG) of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)

·                Vikram Dev Dutt, a 1993 batch IAS officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre, currently serves as the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Air India Assets Holding Limited (AIAHL).

·                Appointment Committee of the Cabinet  is composed of the Prime Minister of India (ex-officio Chairman) and the Minister of Home Affairs.

 

4.              SPACEX LAUNCHES 51 INTERNET SATELLITES

·                Elon Musk-led SpaceX launched 51 internet satellites to orbit in its 1st Starlink mission of 2023 to low-Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base California, United States of America (USA)

·                The 51 Starlink internet satellites onboard the rocket will bring the total number of Starlink spacecraft launched to 3,717.

 

5.              INDIA OPEN BADMINTON TITLE 2023

·                Kunlavut Vitidsarn from Thailand won the India Open Badminton Championship 2023 by defeating Denmark’s Viktor Axelsen in the men’s singles

·                In the Women’s Singles category, An Seyoung of South Korea won the title by defeating Japanese Akane Yamaguchi

·                The Championship, officially named ‘Yonex-Sunrise India Open 2023′ was held at KD Jadhav Indoor Stadium in New Delhi, Delhi

 

6.              U-WIN TO DIGITIZE INDIA’S UNIVERSAL IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME

·                The Government of India (GoI) has launched U-WIN, a platform to digitize India’s Universal Immunization Program (UIP) in a pilot mode in two districts from each State and Union Territory (UT).

·                The U-WIN platform is a replica of Co-WIN, which was introduced in January 2021 in 65 districts and has been the “digital backbone” for India’s COVID-19 immunization programme.

·                ii.The UIP was first introduced as an ‘Expanded Programme of Immunization’ (EPI) by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) in 1978.

·                It was renamed as ‘Universal Immunization Programme’ (UIP), when it got upgraded beyond the urban regions in 1985. It is fully funded by the GoI.

 

7.              INDIA RANKED 3RD IN EXPANDING ORGANIC FARMING IN 2020

·                According to the Bonn, Germany headquartered IFOAM -Organics International data, India is ranked 3rd globally where the area under organic agriculture expanded the maximum in 2020 to 3,59,000 hectares (16%).

·                This list is topped by Argentina with 7,81,000 hectares (up by 21%), followed by Uruguay at 5,89,000 hectares (28%).

·                The total increase under organic cultivation globally in 2020 was 3 million hectares (MH).

·                IFOAM is an acronym for International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements.

·                Of the world’s total 74.9 MH under organic farming, Australia has the highest at 35.7 MH, whereas India has 2.8 MH.

 

8.              BANKS TO COMPLETE RENEWAL AGREEMENTS FOR LOCKERS BY DEC 31, 2023

·                The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) extended the deadline for banks to complete the process of renewal of agreements for the existing safe deposit locker holders by December 31, 2023 from January 1, 2023.

·                RBI in exercise of its powers under sections 35A and 36(1)(a) of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949, directed SBM Bank (India) Ltd to stop all transactions under Liberalized Remittance Scheme (LRS) with immediate effect till further orders.

·                The Reserve Bank of India was established on April 1, 1935, in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.

 

9.              PRADHAN MANTRI RASHTRIYA BAL PURASKAR 2023

·                President of India, Droupadi Murmu, conferred Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar for 2023 to 11 children for their exceptional achievement at Vigyan Bhawan

·                The 2023 awardees are from  11 states and Union territories (UTs) include 6 boys and 5 girls.

·                During the ceremony, Union Minister Smriti Zubin Irani released a book on Baal Veer titled “Young Heroes of India” and presented the 1st copy to the President of India.

 

10.           SUBHASH CHANDRA BOSE AAPDA PRABANDHAN PURASKAR

·                on the occasion of the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Government of India (GoI) has selected the Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) and Lunglei Fire Station (LFS), Mizoram, for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar (SCBAPP) for 2023 under the Institutional category for their excellent work in Disaster Management.

·                Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar(SCBAPP) was instituted by National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the Government of India(GoI) in 2018 to recognise and honour the invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organisations in India in the field of Disaster Management.

 

11.           NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY 2023 – JANUARY 24

·                National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is annually observed across India on January 24 to spread public awareness about inequities that girls face in Indian society.

·                National Girl Child Day was established in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD).

 

12.           INTERNATIONAL DAY OF EDUCATION 2023- JANUARY 24

·                United Nations (UN)’s International Day of Education (IDE) is annually observed across the globe on January 24 to celebrate the role of education in peace and development.

·                The theme of International Day of Education 2023 is “to invest in people, prioritize education”.

·                The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations agency for education, facilitates the annual observance of the Day in close collaboration with main education actors.

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DAILY GK 22,23 JAN

 DAILY  GK 22,23 JAN

1.              EXPORT OBLIGATION RELAXED FOR HOTEL, HEALTH, EDUCATION SECTORS

·                On January 20, 2023, the Central Government relaxed export obligation under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme for the hotel, healthcare, and educational sectors.

·                For the years 2020-21 and 2021-22, these sectors will not be required to maintain average export obligation for EPCG authorizations issued to them. They will also have the option to extend the export obligation period for a longer duration, without having to pay any additional fees.

·                The export period would be extended from the date of expiry for the duration equivalent to the number of days the export obligation period falls between February 1, 2020, and March 31, 2022.

·                EPCG scheme is Administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and governed by the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) of India, the EPCG scheme is a trade promotion scheme implemented by the Central Government enabling duty-free import of capital goods for the purpose of export production in India.

·                It aims to encourage the production of goods for export by providing import duty concessions on capital goods.

 

2.              INDIA’S 1ST STEM INNOVATION AND LEARNING CENTER IN CHENNAI

·                The American India Foundation (AIF) inaugurated India’s 1st STEM Innovation and Learning Centre (SILC) under the scheme of Vanavil Mandram and launched Drone and Satellite Launch Vehicle (DSLV) Mission at the Government Higher Secondary School, MMDA Colony, Chennai, Tamil Nadu (TN).

·                SILC is designed to serve as a one-stop solution for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) among students and instructors.

·                The aim of SICl is to raise curiosity among students in advanced STEM courses.

·                It consists of a Technology Corner, which is equipped with a smart lab, for Teachers, which will make it easier for teachers to lead techno-pedagogy-enabled classes for the students and to receive training in the DE Way of Teaching (DEWoT),

 

3.              ACUTE MALNUTRITION THREATENS THE LIVES OF 30 MILLION CHILDREN- UN

·                The United Nations (UN) agencies issued a call to action for the “UN Global Action Plan on Child Wasting” in an effort to accelerate the enactment of timely and decisive measures to safeguard the most vulnerable children in the 15 countries heavily impacted by the unprecedented food and nutrition crisis.

·                In the 15 worst affected countries, 40 million children (under five) live in severe food poverty and 27 million children experience severe food insecurity.

·                The Global Action Plan on Child Wasting is a collaborative effort of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO).

·                The action plan aims to prevent, detect, and treat acute malnutrition among children in the 15 worst-affected countries: Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Yemen.

·                Wasting or Acute Malnutrition, is a kind of undernutrition induced by a reduction in food consumption and/or sickness, resulting in rapid weight loss or oedema.

 

4.              INDIANS REMITTED NEARLY USD 2 BILLION UNDER LRS SCHEME

·                According to the most recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data on “Outward Remittances under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) for Resident Individuals,” Indians remitted about USD 1.99 billion in November 2022 under the LRS.

·                The Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS) of the RBI was launched in 2004, with an initial ceiling of USD 25,000.

·                The scheme allows all residents, including minors, to freely remit up to USD 250,000 each fiscal year for any permitted current or capital account transaction, or combination of both.

·                According to the RBI data, Indians have remitted around USD 17.28 billion in outward remittances under the LRS to date (until November 2022) in the fiscal year 2022-23 (FY23).

 

5.              RBI TO DIRECT INFLATION TOWARD A 4% TARGET BY 2024

·                According to the article titled “State of the Economy” published in the “January 2023 bulletin” of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the RBI’s 2023 monetary policy objective is to keep inflation within the required tolerance band (2%-6%) and lead it towards the medium-term target of 4% by 2024, which is the second milestone.

·                According to provisional data issued by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on January 12, 2023, Retail inflation, as measured by Year-on-year (y-o-y) fluctuations in the all-India Consumer Price Index (CPI), slowed to 5.7% in December 2022 from 5.9% in November 2022. It was driven by a significant drop in food inflation.

·                In 2023, India’s economy, which now surpasses the UK as the world’s fifth largest, will have a USD 3.7 trillion economy at current prices and exchange rates.

·                According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, India would rise to fourth place in 2025 and third place in 2027, with a USD 5.4 trillion economy.

 

6.              INDIA’S FIRST 5G-ENABLED DRONE, SKYHAWK

·                Startup firm IG Drones has developed India’s first 5G-enabled drone namely ‘Skyhawk’ that is capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), and can be used in defence and medical applications, among other sectors.

·                It can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around five hours.

·                It uses Artificial intelligence (AI) and thermal imaging capabilities which can monitor border intrusion and also during regular patrolling by the defence forces.

·                IG Drones startup is formed out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur.

 

7.              HIMACHAL PRADESH TARGETS TO BE 1ST ‘GREEN ENERGY STATE’ BY 2025

·                Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister(CM) of Himachal Pradesh(HP) announced that Himachal Pradesh targets to become the “first Green Energy State” by the end of 2025.

·                The government is set to invest in Solar plants and will install 500 MW Solar projects during the year 2023-24. 200 MW of this would be installed by HPPCL.

·                CM noted that the Solar projects up to 150 MW capacity would be installed by HIMURJA through private participation.

·                The capacity of the projects will range from 250 KW to 1 MW

 

8.              14-DIGIT ULPIN LAUNCHED IN LADAKH

·                R K Mathur, Lieutenant Governor(LG) of the Union Territory(UT) of Ladakh, launched a 14-digit Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN) in Ladakh. The initiative was welcomed by both hill councils of Kargil and Leh.

·                The ULPIN would support the digitisation of land records and also reach a conclusive land titling.

·                The LG termed ULPIN as a “game changer” and the next step in ‘SVAMITVA’(Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) for digitisation and computerisation of land revenue records.

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DAILY GK QUIZ 29,30,31 JAN

 DAILY GK QUIZ 29,30,31 JAN 

[Q] Name the Indian City that will host the Space 20 programme of G20 in April 2023::

(a) Guwahati, Assam

(b) Shillong, Meghalaya

(c) Imphal,Manipur

(d) New Delhi, Delhi

[ANS] b

 

[Q] In Which County, the 3rd edition of the Interpol Young Global Police Leaders Programme (YGPLP) began in January 2023:

(a) India

(b) UAE

(c) France

(d) Singapore

[ANS] a

 

[Q] Which country will host the 15th BRICS summit in August 2023:

(a) India

(b) UAE

(c) South Africa

(d) Singapore

[ANS] c

 

[Q] Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a plan to launch the ___________(mission) , 1st Indian Space Mission to observe the Sun by June or July 2023:

(a) Gaganyaan 1

(b) Shukrayaan 1

(c) Pragyan –L1

(d) Aditya –L1

[ANS] d

 

[Q] The Central government has renamed the Mughal Gardens in New Delhi’s Rashtrapati Bhavan as ‘Amrit Udyan’. The Mughal Gardens was designed in which year?

(a) 1909

(b) 1917

(c) 1936

(d) 1947

[ANS] b

 

[Q] The government will hand over how many monuments to the private sector for their upkeep under the Monument Mitra Scheme, announced by the Ministry of Culture?

(a) 100

(b) 500

(c) 700

(d) 1000

[ANS] d

 

[Q] Who has won the women’s singles title by defeating Elena Rybakina in the Australian Open 2023?

(a) Arina Sabalenka

(b) Karolína Plíšková

(c) Caroline Garcia

(d) Kaia Kanepi

[ANS] a

 

[Q] Who has won the men’s singles title by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Australian Open 2023?

(a) J. Zieliński

(b) H. Nys

(c) J. Kubler

(d) N. Djokovic

[ANS] d

 

[Q] Which team beat Belgium 5-4 in the penalty shootout to win the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023?

(a) England

(b) Australia

(c) Netherlands

(d) Germany

[ANS] d

 

[Q] World Leprosy Day (WLD) is celebrated on the last Sunday of January. In 2023, World Leprosy Day is observed on _______.

(a) 27 January

(b) 28 January

(c) 29 January

(d) 30 January

[ANS] c

 

[Q] Which team beat England in the first-ever ICC U-19 Women’s T20 World Cup final in Potchefstroom, South Africa?

(a) New Zealand

(b) Pakistan

(c) Bangladesh

(d) India

[ANS] d

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DAILY GK QUIZ 27,28 JAN

 DAILY GK QUIZ 27,28 JAN

[Q] In which state/UT , North India’s Largest Floating Solar Project of 20000 KWp (Kilowath Peak)’ was inaugurated in January 2023:

(a) Maharashtra

(b) Madhya Pradesh

(c) Rajasthan

(d) Chandigarh

[ANS] d

 

[Q] Which country has invested USD 32 million to commercialize World’s First Photonic Based Quantum Computer:

(a) Japan

(b) Russia

(c) Germany

(d) Canada

[ANS] d

 

[Q] Name the Railway Station that has recently awarded a ‘Green Railway Station Certification’ with the highest Platinum rating by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC):

(a) Visakhapatnam Railway Station

(b) Bhopal Railway Station

(c) Chandigarh Railway Station

(d) Mumbai Central Railway Station

[ANS] a

 

[Q] _______ became the 41st Prime Minister of New Zealand, after the regignation of Jacinda Ardern:

(a) Jenney Shipley

(b) Bill English

(c) Chris Hipkins

(d) John Key

[ANS] c

 

[Q] When was the National Tourism Day 2023 observed across India:

(a) 23rd Jan 2023

(b) 25th Jan 2023

(c) 22nd Jan 2023

(d) 26th Jan 2023

[ANS] b

 

[Q] The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has announced how many names for Padma Vibhushan on 25 January 2023?

(a) 5

(b) 91

(c) 6

(d) 9

[ANS] c

 

[Q] Who among the following has become the 1st-ever Indian cricketer to have won the ICC Men’s T20 Cricketer of the Year award?

(a) Virat Kohli

(b) Hardik Pandya

(c) Surya Kumar Yadav

(d) K L Rahul

[ANS] c

 

[Q] The United Nations pared down India’s growth forecast by 20 basis points to 5.8 per cent for 2023 calendar year, its growth forecast for 2023-2024 is ______________.

(a) 5.8%

(b) 6.8%

(c) 6.5%

(d) 6%

[ANS] d

 

[Q] International Customs Day is observed every year on January 26, the theme for 2023 is _________.

(a) Smart Borders for Seamless Trade, Travel and Tourism

(b) Customs fostering Sustainability for People, Prosperity and the Planet

(c) Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience

(d) Nurturing the next generation: promoting a culture of knowledge-sharing and professional pride in Customs

[ANS] d

 

[Q] Every year, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is observed on ________ to reflect on the atrocities inflicted by Adolf Hitler, which resulted in the deaths of an estimated six million Jews.

(a) January 25

(b) January 26

(c) January 27

(d) January 28

[ANS] c

 

[Q] What is the theme of International Holocaust Remembrance Day 2023?

(a) Holocaust Remembrance: Educating for a Better Future

(b) Holocaust Remembrance: Demand and Defend Your Human Rights

(c) Facing the Aftermath: Recovery and Reconstitution after the Holocaust

(d) Home and Belonging

[ANS] d

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