Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: April 11, 2023
General Awareness Section can be the easiest and most qualifying section in most competitive exams with the right focus. To bag a good score in these sections one must follow the current affairs for at least a few minutes on a daily basis. Current affairs are vastly diversified with topics from politics, finance, sports, etc. and getting lost in this vast data might be confusing sometimes.
Whether you are preparing for a written test or an interview for any competitive exam, you have come to the right place to enhance your GK knowledge.
Environment Statistics 2023
Current Affairs: Climate and Environment
Volume I of Environment Statistics 2023 was released recently by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
Important data of the report:
In 2022, the annual rainfall measured in India has increased compared to 2021. In 2022, maximum heat wave days were reported in Rajasthan, followed by Punjab, Haryana, Jharkhand, and Delhi.
Notably, Assam and Himachal Pradesh have not reported a heatwave day since 2010. The number of cyclonic storms experienced by the North Indian Ocean (NIO) increased substantially in 2018, which persisted in subsequent years but again reduced in 2022.
Q1.) According to the Environment Statistics Report 2023, which state has reported maximum heat wave days?
(A) Rajasthan
(B) Madhya Pradesh
(C) Gujarat
(D) Goa
Answer: A
Check out the Highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 by clicking on the link given below: Economic Survey 2022-23
Late former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party patron Mulayam Singh Yadav was posthumously awarded Padma Vibhushan, which was received by his son Akhilesh Yadav.
President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday presented the Padma awards for the year 2023 at the Civil Investiture Ceremony held in Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Music director Marakathamani Keeravaani, who has hogged the limelight for the ‘RRR’ song ‘Naatu Naatu’, and Bollywood actor Raveena Tandon were among those who received the Padma Shri.
President Murmu presented three Padma Vibhushan, five Padma Bhushan and 47 Padma Shri Awards.
Padma Vibhushan was given to ORS pioneer Dr Dilip Mahalanabis and former Mulayam Singh Yadav posthumously.
Earlier, on 22 March, the President had presented three Padma Vibhushan, four Padma Bhushan and 47 Padma Shri Awards for the year 2023.
Padma awards are given in three categories, including Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri.
These awards are given for recognition of exceptional works in various fields of activities such as art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports and civil service, among others.
Current Affairs: National Interest
President Murmu inaugurates Gaj Utsav at Assam’s Kaziranga National Park
The President of India inaugurated Gaj Utsav at Kaziranga National Park in Assam on 7 April to mark the 30th anniversary of Project Elephant (PE).
Project Elephant was launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in 1992 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Objective: To protect elephants, their habitat and corridors; address issues of the man-animal conflict; and Welfare of captive elephants. MoEF&CC provides financial and technical support to major elephant range states in the country through PE.
As per Elephant Census, 2017, Karnataka has the highest number of elephants, followed by Assam and Kerala.
Found in Central and Southern Western Ghats, North East India, Eastern India and Northern India and some parts of Southern peninsular India.
Q2.) President Murmu inaugurates Gaj Utsav in which national park?
(A) Madhav National Park
(B) Kanha National Park
(C) Corbett National Park
(D) Kaziranga National Park
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Science and Technology
NASA launches a device to monitor air pollution from space
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched from Florida carrying a new NASA device that can track air pollution over North America.
The Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) instrument will allow scientists to monitor air pollutants and their emission sources from space more comprehensively than ever before, down to the neighbourhood level.
NASA’s TEMPO project manager, the instrument will measure pollution and air quality across greater North America on an hourly basis during the daytime.
A unique feature of TEMPO, which is about the size of a washing machine and has been described as a chemistry laboratory in space, is that it will be hosted on an Intelsat communications satellite in geostationary orbit.
Q3.) Which space organisation launched a device to monitor air pollution from space?
(A) European Space Agency (ESA)
(B) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
(C) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
(D) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Answer: D
Current Affairs: National Interest
Kerala tops GI tag list in FY 2022-23
Kerala has topped the list of states in the country with the most number of products securing the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in the financial year 2022-23.
Attappady Aattukombu Avara, Attappady Thuvara, Onattukara Ellu, Kanthaloor Vattavada Veluthulli, and Kodungallur Pottuvellari were picked for the GI recognition tag as per the data released by the registry.
Kerala is followed by Bihar, whose Mithila Mithila Makhana (aquatic fox nut) was selected for GI recognition, followed by Alibag white onion from Maharashtra.
Tandur Red gram, a local variety of pea from Telangana, Ladakh Raktsey Karpo Apricot from Ladakh and Gamosa handicrafts from Assam were also given GI tags.
In the fiscal year 2021-22, as many as 50 products from domestic and overseas markets were selected for recognition, with Uttar Pradesh topping the list with seven GI tags, followed by Uttarakhand at six.
Handicraft products like Chunar Glaze Pottery, Banaras Zardozi, Mirzapur Pital Bartan, Banaras Wood Carving, Banaras Hand Block Print, Rataul Mango, Mau saree were selected for the GI recognition from Uttar Pradesh.
Uttarakhand Aipan Art, Munsyari Razma, Uttarakhand handcraft Ringal Craft, Tamta from Uttarakhand, Thulma (Handicraft), and Kumaon Chyura Oil were selected in the GI Tag List 2023 recognition.
Q4.) Which state tops the GI tag list in the financial year 2022–23?
(A) Kerala
(B) Karnataka
(C) Tamil Nadu
(D) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Defence
Mega joint military exercise ‘EX-KAVACH’ concluded at Andaman and Nicobar Command
Indian Armed Forces’ only tri-service command, Andaman and Nicobar Command, recently concluded Exercise KAVACH, a large-scale joint military exercise.
The exercise, with the participation of assets from all three services and the Indian Coast Guard, had started in February this year.
Exercise KAVACH was structured to enhance the joint warfare capabilities and the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) of the Armed Forces.
The training exercise also strengthened interoperability and operational synergy between the forces.
The exercise, which lasted longer than a month, witnessed drills including amphibious landing and air-landed operations.
The troops also carried out heliborne operations and rapid insertion of Special Force operators from the mainland on the remote islands of Andaman and Nicobar.
The tri-services joint military exercise was previously held in 2021. During the 2021 edition, troops of the joint forces executed multi-domain, high-intensity offensive and defensive manoeuvres in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
Q5.) Under the aegis of which of the following commands was the large-scale joint military exercise ‘Excercise Kavach’ conducted?
(A) Northern Command
(B) Central Command
(C) Andaman and Nicobar Command
(D) Eastern Command
Answer: C
Current Affairs: Defence
Indian Rafale to participate in French Military exercise with NATO allies
The Indian Air Force’s Rafale fighter jets will be participating in a military exercise in France that involves thousands of NATO troops.
The jets are expected to arrive in France in mid-April to participate in Orion 23, a large-scale war game that includes multiple dimensions, such as ground troops, warships, aircraft carriers, and combat aircraft.
The exercise, which began in February and is scheduled to end in early May, is aimed at enhancing military cooperation and interoperability among participating nations.
It is expected that the Indian Rafale fighter jets will participate in a French military exercise called Orion 23, which involves NATO troops and various types of military equipment such as ground troops, warships, and combat aircraft.
The Golden Arrows squadron, which is part of the Western Air Command, is likely to provide the aircraft for the exercise.
The war game is currently underway and will end in early May. It is taking place against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, with NATO led by the United States opposing Russia’s moves.
Q6.) Which Indian fighter jet will be participating in a military exercise in France that involves thousands of NATO troops?
(A) Rafale
(B) Sukhoi Su-30
(C) HAL Tejas
(D) Mirage 2000
Answer: A
Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below: Union Budget 2023-24
Factbook:10-April-2023
Govt approves Army proposal to induct women officers in artillery
The central government has put its seal of approval on the decision of the Indian Army to induct women officers in the Regiment of Artillery, a Union Cabinet minister has informed.
With this decision, in artillery, women will be trained to use howitzers (large guns), rocket systems, etc.
Artillery is a combat support arm of the Indian Army and is the largest in size after Infantry. Artillery Regiments comprise various calibres of guns, surface-to-surface missiles, tracked guns, mortars and unmanned aerial platforms.
Women in Armed Forces Induction of women officers in the Army was approved in 1992 by Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs as Short Service Cadre.
Around 13.69 per cent of the workforce in the Indian Air Force, excluding its medical branch, are women, the highest among all three services of the Indian Armed Forces.
HAL’s third Light Combat Aircraft
Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane inaugurated the third production line of the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) set up by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) at Nashik in Maharashtra.
The new production line will enable the company to enhance LCA-MK1A production capacity from 16 to 24 aircraft per year.
HAL’s Nashik Division has achieved a peak overhaul capacity of 20 Su-30 aircraft per year despite having supply chain issues in current geopolitical situations.
The Signal Out Certificate (SOC) of the 100th ROH aircraft was handed over by SaketChaturvedi, CEO (MiG Complex), to Air Vice-Marshal Sarin.
HAL plans to reduce the dependency on original equipment manufacturers (Russia) by indigenising the majority of components required for ROH within the next three to five years.
Ladakh’s wood carving gets a GI tag
In a major recognition for Ladakh, its wood carving has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag.
In December last year, the government also granted GI Tag for Raktsey Karpo apricot of Ladakh.
The process for GI Tagging of these products was started by NABARD in consultation with and support of the Department of Handicrafts and Handloom in December 2020.
Earlier this year, the products were registered with the GI Registry Chennai.
Wood carving of Ladakh has been an aesthetically vibrant art form in the Ladakh region, including the capital, Leh and Kargil.
GI tag grants legal protection to the original producers and prevents their unauthorised use by third parties.
GI tag for Kathua’s “Basohli Painting”
The world-famous “Basohli Painting”, popular for its miniature art style from Kathua district, Jammu and Kashmir, has obtained the Geographical Indication (GI) tag following approval by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). This is the first time the Jammu region has gotten a GI tag for handicrafts.
The products from UT of Jammu and Kashmir have been included in the list of 33 products that have received the GI tag recently.
GI is a form of Intellectual Property right that identifies goods originating from a specific geographical location and having distinct nature, quality and characteristics linked to that location.
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