Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: March 08, 2023
Any competitive exam’s general awareness portion requires frequent habitual observation of daily events. If you are preparing for any competitive examination, and wish to score well in this section, you are in the right place. You will discover new things and keep up with the dynamic information that is transforming every day by following daily current affairs through Embibe Current Affairs series.
Current Affairs: Defence.
Exercise FRINJEX-23 commences in Thiruvananthapuram
The maiden Joint Military Exercise FRINJEX-23 between Indian Army and French Army is being conducted at Pangode Military Station, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on 7 and 8 March 2023.
It is the first time armies of both nations have engaged in this format, with each contingent comprising a Company Group each from the Thiruvananthapuram-based Indian Army troops and French 6th Light Armoured Brigade.
The Joint exercise will further cement defence cooperation with France, a key aspect of the overall Indo-France strategic partnership.
Aim:
The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, coordination and cooperation between both forces at a tactical level.
The scope of the exercise involves establishing and operationalising a joint command post to secure an envisaged area for undertaking joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, establishing an Internally Displaced Population (IDP) camp and move of disaster relief material.
About Pangode Military Station:
Located in the city of Trivandrum, Kerala, Pangode is an area that has consistently maintained its reputation for cleanliness.
The incredible views available while travelling the stretch include the battle tank on display, The war memorial, The humongous Pangode House- the official residence of the officer in charge of the entire brigade, The quarter guard, where most ceremonies take place and The Colochal stadium.
Question:
The maiden Joint Military Exercise FRINJEX-23 is being conducted between the Indian Army and the Army of which of the following countries?
A. France
B. USA
C. Japan
D. Australia
Answer: A
Check out the Highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 by clicking on the link given below: Economic Survey 2022-23
Current Affairs: Defence
Naval commanders’ conference begins on INS Vikrant
THE FIRST edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference-2023—to be held at sea aboard indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant—has begun today, 7 March.
This Conference will serve as a platform for discussing key security issues at the military-strategic level and interacting with government officials through institutionalised forums.
Details:
The decision to hold the meeting aboard INS Vikrant echoes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-standing vision that commanders’ meetings should not simply be confined to the country.
It was done in the light of not only in the capital but also in other areas of application, according to the government statement.
An operational demonstration at sea is also planned as part of the activities on the first day.
The Naval Commanders’ Conference serves as a platform for officers to discuss critical security issues at the military-strategic level and collaborate with government officials.
Question:
Which of the following naval vessels has hosted the first edition of the Naval Commanders’ Conference-2023?
A. INS Sindhuratna
B. INS Sindhuraj
C. INS Vikrant
D. INS Khanderi
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Defence Technology
Navy test-fires ship-launched version of BrahMos missile
The Navy recently successfully test-fired the ship-launched version of BrahMos supersonic missile with an indigenous seeker and booster in the Arabian Sea.
The missile is equipped with an indigenous booster designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The air-launched missile can hit targets within a range of around 400 km.
About BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd:
It was developed by BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture that produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.
It flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach, or almost three times the speed of sound.
In April 2022, the anti-ship version of the supersonic cruise missile was successfully test-fired jointly by the Indian Navy and the Andaman and Nicobar Command.
These missiles are also being exported by India and had sealed a $375 million deal with the Philippines to supply three batteries of the missile in January 2022.
Fact:
In January last year, India signed a $375 million deal with the Philippines to supply the missile. India is also eyeing other countries such as South Africa, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Egypt to sell the missiles.
Current Affairs: International
UN members reach an accord to protect marine life on the high seas
For the first time, United Nations members have agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas – nearly half the planet’s surface – concluding two weeks of talks in New York.
The treaty was negotiated under the United Nations Convention on Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, which governs the rights of countries regarding marine resources.
About the treaty:
The Treaty of High Seas, also known as the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty, will create a new body to manage the conservation of ocean life and establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) on high seas.
It will put limits on how much fishing can take place, exploration activities like deep sea mining, etc.
Maritime boundary definition:
Inland Waters – These represent the water available on the landward side of the earth’s surface. It constitutes water bodies like rivers, bays, and lakes, which are connected to the sea.
Territorial seas – These extend to roughly a distance of twelve nautical miles from the state’s maritime borders. The country or the state exercises its jurisdiction and executive sovereignty over the components of the territorial seas like the seabed, airspace, and the subsoil beneath the territorial seas.
Contiguous Zones – These zones are beyond the limits of the territorial seas and extend up to a distance of twenty-four nautical miles from the state’s maritime boundaries. The enforcement authorities of that Region have to ensure and prevent any potential risks of theft or infringement in some components or work machinery such as customs, a breach in immigration rules or in fiscal laws and specific regulations, and also strict punishment should be devised of those found guilty of breach or infringement of the specific laws and the rules and regulations prescribed for the international border in the sea.
Especially exclusive economic zones – This is a zone that stretches beyond the distance of territorial seas and contiguous zones in the sea borders map. It is said to extend up to a distance of two hundred nautical miles from a specific region’s maritime boundaries. The country or the state has jurisdiction and executive rights over an exclusive economic zone. It also has the right to undergo exploration in exclusive economic zones in search of various sources of natural energy.
Continental Shelf – It constitutes the soil lying underneath the water surface and the underground seabed of the extended submarine area. It extends up to a length of two hundred nautical miles from the maritime boundaries of the particular state or country.
What is the High sea?
High seas begin at the border of countries’ EEZ, which extend up to 370 km from coastlines.
They comprise more than 60% of the world’s oceans and nearly half the planet’s surface.
Only about 1% of high seas are currently protected.
The rationale of this treaty:
Significance of treaty Enforcing UN Biodiversity Conference’s pledge to conserve 30% of the world’s land and ocean by 2030 (Achieving 30×30 Goal)
Obligates countries to conduct environmental impact assessments of proposed activities on high seas
Combine different regional treaties to address threats and concerns across species’ ranges
Fact:
UNCLOS (HQ: Montego Bay, Jamaica) define coastal and maritime boundaries to regulate seabed exploration, not within territorial claims. Membership: 168 parties, including India.
Question:
Consider the following statements:
All UN members have recently agreed on a unified treaty to protect biodiversity in the high sea
High seas begin at the border of countries’ EEZ, which extend up to 370 km from coastlines
UNCLOS’s headquarter is located in Andaman and Nicobar Island India
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A. Only 1
B. Both 1 and 2
C. Both 2 and 3
D. Only 3
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Geography
National Remote Sensing Centre released the Landslide Atlas of India
Recently, for the first time, National Remote Sensing Centre Hyderabad scientists did a risk assessment on landslides recorded between 1988 and 2022 in 147 districts in 17 states and two union territories to build a Landslide Atlas of India.
An Atlas, prepared under the Disaster Management Support Programme of ISRO, provides state-wise geospatial distribution of landslides using space data and geospatial models.
National Remote Sensing Centre is responsible for managing data from aerial and satellite sources.
What is Landslide?
A landslide is described as a mass of rock, debris or earth moving down a slope.
Landslides are a form of mass waste under the direct influence of gravity that indicates any down-slope movement of rock and soil.
What are the causes of landslides?
Take a look at the five factors that trigger landslides in India:
Deforestation- Landslides due to human intervention is one of the causes of landslides in India
Shifting Cultivation- Shifting cultivation is common in hilly regions and Northeast areas
Heavy Rainfall and Earthquakes
Mining
Urbanisation
What are the four types of landslides?
falls
topples
slides (rotational and translational)
flows
Impact of landslides:
Loss of lives and infrastructure, and the risk of floods, create a financial burden for rebuilding infrastructure.
About National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad is responsible for remote sensing satellite data acquisition and processing, data dissemination, aerial remote sensing and decision support for disaster management.
NRSC has a data reception station at Shadnagar near Hyderabad for acquiring data from Indian remote sensing satellites as well as others.
National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at Hyderabad has been converted into a full-fledged centre of ISRO since 1 September 2008.
Earlier, NRSC was an autonomous body called the National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) under the Department of Space (DOS).
Question:
Which of the following has recently released the Landslide Atlas of India?
A. Geological Survey of India
B. Ministry of Earth Sciences
C. National Remote Sensing Centre
D. None of the above
Answer: C
Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below: Union Budget 2023-24
Factbook: 07-March-2023
Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) number
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prohibited the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery or gold artefacts without HUID after 31 March 2023.
Hallmarking of Gold jewellery is done as per Indian Standards specified in IS 1417: 2016 with three symbols, with the BIS logo as the first symbol.
Purity and fineness of gold as the second symbol
HUID, as the third symbol, is a unique 6-digit alphanumeric code given to every piece of jewellery to enable traceability.
It can be verified in the BIS CARE app. Benefit: Provide third-party assurance on purity and fineness of gold jewellery.
Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023
36 Women WASH Champions across the country receive Swachh Sujal Shakti Samman 2023 from the President of India.
The event was organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti to felicitate exceptional and exemplary work being done at the grassroots level by women in the implementation of Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G); Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM); Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA-CTR). Other highlights: Release of National Water Mission’s (NWM) SoPs on Source Sustainability, the launch of JSA-CTR 2023.
Bamboo Crash Barrier
India has installed the world’s first Bamboo crash barrier on the Wani-Warora highway in Maharashtra.
The 200m long Bamboo Crash Barrier, named Bahu Balli, is made from Bambusa Balcooa species of bamboo.
Bambusa Balcoa, also known as ‘female bamboo’, is a tropical clumping bamboo mainly grown in Northeast India and West Bengal.
It is commonly used in building materials for houses, bridges, fishing floats, scaffolding, baskets, etc.
Benefits as Crash Barrier: An alternative to current steel barriers, bamboo barriers have a higher recycling value (50-70%) than steel barriers (30-50%).
Question:
India has recently installed the world’s first Bamboo crash barrier on the Wani-Warora highway in which of the following states?
A. Assam
B. Maharashtra
C. Jharkhand
D. Chhattisgarh
Answer: B
Global Education Monitoring Report by UNESCO
The report was released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Key findings: Only 17% of countries cover sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression issues – the least covered areas in CSE curricula.
Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a curriculum-based process of teaching and learning about cognitive, emotional, physical and social aspects of sexuality.
Only 20% of countries have laws, and 39% have a national policy specifically addressing Sexuality education.
Sexuality education in primary education is compulsory in 68% of countries and secondary education in 76%. Contraception issues are covered in school curriculums in two-thirds of countries.
Great Seahorse Migration
As per a new study, extensive fishing off the Coromandel coast could be forcing great seahorses to migrate toward Odisha. Seahorses are a type of fish with horse-like heads.
They are poor swimmers but migrate by rafting (clinging to floating substrata).
There are 46 species of seahorses reported worldwide.
Coastal ecosystems of India house 9 out of 12 species found in the Indo-Pacific. Habitat: Seagrass, mangroves, macroalgal beds, and coral reefs.
IUCN status: Vulnerable.
INS Trikand
INS Trikand is participating in the International Maritime Exercise/ Cutlass Express 2023 (IMX/CE-23) being held in the Gulf region from 26 Feb to 16 Mar 2023.
Exercises are being held with participants from over 50 nations and international maritime agencies to enhance maritime security and keep sea lanes in the region safe for maritime commerce.
IMX/CE-23 is one of the largest multinational maritime exercises in the world. While this is the Indian Navy’s maiden IMX participation, it also marks the second occasion where an Indian Naval ship is participating in an exercise conducted by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). In November 2022, INS Trikand participated in the CMF-led Operation Sea Sword 2 in the Northwest Arabian Sea.
Mirabai Chanu became “BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year” for the second time in a row
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has won the 2022 ‘BBC Indian Sportswoman Of The Year award’ after a public vote.
The former captain of the Indian women’s hockey team Pritam Siwach was conferred with the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award for her contribution to Indian sports and for inspiring generations of players.
Chanu becomes the first athlete to win the award twice in a row after winning for the year 2021.
At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, she became the first Indian to win a silver medal in weightlifting and, in 2022, secured gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England. She won a silver medal at the World Weightlifting Championships in 2022.
The other shortlisted contenders for BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year were wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Sakshi Malik, boxer Nikhat Zareen, and badminton player PV Sindhu.
Two-day Millet Mahotsav organised at Agra, Uttar Pradesh
A two-day Millet Mahotsav was organised by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries at Agra, Uttar Pradesh, from 3 to 4 March 2023.
The event was inaugurated by Minister of State for Law and Justice, Prof SP Singh Baghel.
Several dignitaries were also present, including the Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Minhaj Alam.
Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest producer of food grains, accounting for about 18.89% share (58.32 million MT) in the country’s total food grain output in 2020-21. In 2019-20, Uttar Pradesh produced 21,71,836.00 MT millet.
The different varieties of millet mainly produced in Uttar Pradesh include Sorghum, Pearl Millet, Kodo and Barnyard Millet.
The millet varieties in the Agra district mainly include Sorghum and Pearl Millet.
The first Labour 20 (L20) meeting will be held in Punjab’s Amritsar on the 19th and 20th of March
The first Labour 20 (L20) meeting is scheduled to be held in Punjab’s Amritsar on the 19th and 20th of this month.
L20 comprises leaders and representatives of trade union centres of G20 countries.
They provide analysis and policy recommendations aimed at addressing labour-related issues.
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) is the lead national trade union centre organising the L20 inception meeting under the India G20 presidency.
Apart from the meeting, the participants of the L20 meeting would be taken to various excursion sites to showcase the rich cultural heritage of Amritsar.
India on 108th position in Electoral Democracy Index 2023
India has now been ranked at 108th spot globally for electoral democracy, far behind nations like Tanzania, Bolivia, Mexico, Singapore, and even Nigeria, which comes in at a modest 91st spot by V-Dem Institute in its Electoral Democracy Report for 2023.
This ranking may come as a shock to many, but it is also worth noting that India’s rank is far below nations like Tanzania, Bolivia, Mexico, and Singapore.
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