Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: March 16, 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 vastness 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.

Current Affairs: National

Uttarakhand govt approves 10% horizontal reservation for statehood activists

• The government of Uttarakhand has approved a 10% horizontal reservation for statehood campaigners in state government positions. Under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, the decision was made during a cabinet meeting held in Bhararisain recently.
• The proposal to increase the MLA Local Area Development Fund from ₹3.75 crore to ₹ 5 crore annually also got approval from the Cabinet.
• Other significant decisions made by the Cabinet include increasing the money granted for beautifying temples from ₹25 lakh to ₹50 lakh and increasing the financial help given to Mahila Mangal Dal from ₹25 lakh to ₹40 lakh.

About Uttarakhand

• Capital – Dehradun
• Formation – 9 November 2000, as the 27th state of India
• Chief Minister – Pushkar Singh Dhami
• Governor -Gurmit Singh

Question: 

Which state has approved a 10% horizontal reservation for statehood activists in state govt jobs?

(A) Uttarakhand

(B) Karnataka

(C) Maharashtra

(D) Himachal Pradesh

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: Important Days

World Consumer Rights Day 2023: 15 March

• Reason to Celebrate: On this day, people all across the globe promote the Fundamental Rights of all consumers, call for their protection and observance, and denounce unfair trade practices.
• Commemoration date: The day was first observed on 15 March 1983.

Theme: 

• This year the theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2023 is “Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions.” It aims to raise awareness about consumer empowerment and their role in pushing for a faster clean energy transition.

Question:

What is the theme of World Consumer Rights Day 2023?

(A) Empowering consumers, empowering nations 

(B) Protect consumer rights, protect the economy 

(C) The Sustainable Consumer

(D) Empowering Consumers Through Clean Energy Transitions

Answer: D

Current Affairs: National 

RBI granted ‘Infrastructure Finance Company’ status to IREDA

• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has granted an ‘Infrastructure Finance Company (IFC)’ status to Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA).
• The recognition of IREDA as an IFC will boost the brand’s value, inspire investor trust, and produce a favourable prognosis for the market.
• With the IFC designation, IREDA will continue to support the Center’s goal of installing 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030.

About RBI:

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
• Established: 1 April 1935
• Governor: Shaktikanta Das

About IREDA: 

• Full form: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Question:

What is the full form of IREDA?

(A) Indian Reserved Energy Development Agency

(B) Indian Renewable Engagement Development Agency

(C) Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

(D) Indian Research for Energy Development Agency

Answer: C

Current Affairs: Appointment 

M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey appointed MDs of LIC

• M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey have been appointed recently as the Managing Directors of the Life Insurance Company of India (LIC).
• The LIC now has four MDs, and two of them will retire in the next two months. Raj Kumar and BC Patnaik are two of the four LIC directors retiring this week. M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey are most likely to fill the two roles after the two existing MDs of LIC resign at the end of their term.

About LIC: 

• Founded: 1 September 1956 (66 years ago)
• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Question:

Who will be the new MDs of LIC?

(A) M Jagannath and Tablesh Pandey 

(B) Raj Kumar and BC Patnaik

(C) Ipe Mini and Siddharth 

(D) None of the above

Answer: A

Current Affairs: National 

First international conference on Shared Buddhist Heritage began in New Delhi

• With an emphasis on India’s civilisational connections with the SCO states, the first international conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Shared Buddhist History was inaugurated in New Delhi recently.
• The two-day conference aimed to reestablish cross-cultural linkages and look for similarities among Central Asian Buddhist art, art movements, archaeological locations, and antiquity in various SCO country museum collections.

About SCO states: 

• SCO has eight member States, viz., India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Question:

In which city the first international conference on shared Buddhist heritage happened? 

(A) Jaipur

(B) Uttarakhand

(C) New Delhi

(D) Kolkata

Answer: C

Current Affairs: International 

Chad is the most polluted nation, while Lahore is the most polluted city

Detail:

• In 2022, Lahore in Pakistan had the worst air in the world, according to a global assessment conducted annually by a Swiss air purifier manufacturer.
• According to the IQAir study released recently, Chad in central Africa had replaced Bangladesh as the country with the most polluted air last year.

Question:

According to a global assessment by a Swiss air purifier manufacturer, which city was the most polluted in 2022?

(A) Kolkata

(B) Lahore

(C) New Delhi

(D) Los Angeles

Answer: B

Current Affairs: National 

The upper age limit for registration to receive deceased donor organs removed by the government

• The 65 years as the upper age limit for registration to receive deceased donor organs has been removed by the government. Now, anyone of any age can sign up to receive the deceased donor organ.

Question:

What was the upper age limit that the government removed for registration to receive deceased donor organs?

(A) 60 years

(B) 62 years

(C) 65 years

(D) 58 years

Answer: C

Current Affairs: Defence

DRDO conducts two consecutive successful flight tests of VSHORADS missiles in Odisha

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) recently conducted two consecutive successful flight tests of the Very Short Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile at the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur, off the coast of Odisha.
• VSHORADS is a Man Portable Air Defence System (MANPAD) meant for neutralising low-altitude aerial threats at short ranges. It has been designed and developed indigenously by Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian industry partners.

About DRDO: 

• Full form: Defence Research and Development Organisation of India
• Chairman: Dr Samir V Kamat
• Formed: 1958
• Headquarters: New Delhi

Question:

What is the full form of VSHORADS?

(A) Very Short Range Air Defence System 

(B) Very Small Range Air Defence System

(C) Very Short Range Aerial Defence System

(D) Very Small Range Aerial Defence System

Answer: A

Check out the Highlights of Union Budget 2023 by clicking on the link given below:
Union Budget 2023-24

Factbook: 15-March-2023

1. Uttarakhand will get the first Electric Pilgrimage Corridor in the country

• The country’s first electric pilgrimage corridor is being developed on the 900 km long Char Dham Yatra route, and charging points are also being made at every 30 km for private electric vehicles.
• All the guest houses too will have charging point facilities. Locations for EV charging stations have also been marked.

2. Denmark, the first country to import CO₂ and bury it undersea

• Denmark recently inaugurated a project to store carbon dioxide 1,800 metres beneath the North Sea, the first country in the world to bury CO₂ imported from abroad.
• The CO₂ graveyard, where the carbon is injected to prevent further warming of the atmosphere, is on the site of an abandoned oil field. 
• Led by British chemical giant Ineos and German oil company Wintershall Dea, the “Greensand” project is expected to store up to eight million tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2030. 

3. Curtain Raiser Award of President’s Colour to INS Dronacharya

• The President of India will visit Kochi on 16 March to present the President Colours Award to Indian Navy INS Dronacharya. 
• It would be the first time President Droupadi Murmu would be visiting Kerala after becoming President. 

About INS Dronacharya:

• INS Dronacharya is a weapons training centre for sailors. It is situated in Fort Kochi, where sailors from India and abroad are trained. 
• It is an important training centre for the Indian Navy, offering training in using pistols, missiles, radars, etc., 820 officers and 1200 others are trained annually. 
• Facilities of Dronacharya are SRGM Gun Mount, Maritime Museum, Maritime Education Centre, Fire Control System, Stimulator, Air Defense, IGLA Stimulator, etc. 
• Dronacharya also handled the security of the naval base and port. Dronacharya also has a huge arsenal of weapons ranging from small guns to missiles.

About President’s Colour Award:

• It is the highest recognition given to armed forces units. Officers of the unit will also get a special insignia called ‘Nishan’ worn on the right arm of their uniform. 
• The distinguished service award is presented by the President, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. 

Uttarakhand became India’s first state to start an insurance scheme for sericulturists

• State Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Ganesh Joshi recently participated in the inauguration program of ‘Saral Krishi Beema’ by the Indian Agricultural Insurance Company in collaboration with the Silk Directorate, Uttarakhand.
• According to state agriculture minister Ganesh Joshi, Uttarakhand has started the nation’s first “Resham Keet Bima” scheme to protect its sericulturists.
• In the first phase of the pilot project, which began in Uttarakhand, 200 sericulturists from five blocks across four districts — Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Nainital — received insurance against the negative impacts of climate change, water shortage, and other hazards.

About Sericulture:

• Sericulture is an agro-based industry.
• It involves the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk, which is the yarn obtained out of cocoons spun by certain species of insects. 
• Cultivation to feed the silkworms that spin silk cocoons and reel the cocoons to unwind the silk filament for value-added advantages like process and weaving are the major activities of sericulture.

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