Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: February 17, 2023

Instead of reading books to prepare for the Current Affairs portion, use Embibe’s daily current affairs updates and continue the normal newspaper reading habit. A thorough review of The Hindu, Economic Times, and India Today is referred to present these questions to the aspirants. We have organised the most recent subjects for today’s current affairs into categories for general preparation.

Motivation++ 

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds” 

– Patanjali, alive in India circa 100 BCE

Current Affairs: National

Fine of ₹10 crore, life term: Uttarakhand’s new anti-cheating law

• A day after a protest in Dehradun over paper leaks and scams in government recruitment tests turned violent, the Uttarakhand Governor recently gave his assent to an ordinance brought by the Pushkar Singh Dhami-led BJP government to prevent the use of unfair means in exams
• The Uttarakhand Competitive Examination (Measures For Control and Prevention of Unfair Means in Recruitment) Ordinance, 2023, which has provisions of fines up to ₹10 crore and life imprisonment for the guilty, has been given the nod by the governor
• There have been continuous agitations against multiple paper leaks in Uttarakhand since 2016

Provisions of the anti-cheating law:

• Applicable to public examinations for recruitment to posts under the state government, autonomous bodies run by the government, and authorities, corporations, and institutions operated with state government grants.
• If any examinee is caught cheating or causing another examinee to cheat in a competitive examination (online and offline) or to have indulged in unfair means, he/she shall be:
  • Punishable with three years imprisonment and a minimum fine of ₹5 lakh
  • If the fine is not paid, the examinee shall be jailed for another nine months
• If any person, printing press, service provider contracted or ordered for examination, management for conducting an examination, or any person and organisation authorised to keep and transport the examination material, any employee of the examination authority, limited liability partnership, coaching centre, or any other institution has indulged in conspiracy or other unfair means, they shall be punished with a jail term of not less than 10 years, which may extend to life imprisonment.

An applicant found cheating will be:

• Debarred for two to five years from the date of the chargesheet
• And in case of conviction, from all competitive exams for ten years
• All the properties earned using unfair means will be seized
• The offences are cognisable, non-bailable, and non-compoundable

Question: 1

Recently, which of the following states has brought a new anti-cheating law with provisions of fines up to ₹10 crore and life imprisonment for the guilty?

A. Rajasthan

B. Bihar

C. Uttarakhand

D. Uttar Pradesh

Answer: C

Check out the Highlights of the Economic Survey 2022-23 by clicking on the link given below:
Economic Survey 2022-23

Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions

President’s Colour Award-2023

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Haryana recently to present the President’s Colour Award to the state police at a ceremony at the Haryana Police Academy in Karnal district’s Madhuban.
• Shah, appearing on behalf of President Droupadi Murmu.

What is the President’s Colour Award?

• The President’s Colour Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India.
• It is also known as ′Nishaan′, an emblem that all unit officers wear on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform.
• The President’s Colour Award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Haryana Police in serving the country and maintaining law and order. It is a unique honour conferred by the president on the armed forces that have rendered exceptional service to the country.
• The award serves as a recognition of the sacrifices made by police personnel in the line of duty and a tribute to their unwavering commitment to serving and protecting people
• A smaller replica of the flag will be given to all officers of the force for them to wear on their uniform.

Fact:

• Indian Navy was the first Indian Armed Force to be awarded the President Colour in 1951 

Question: 2

Which of the following was most recently awarded the President’s Colour Award 2023?

A. CRPF

B. Haryana Police

C. ITBP

D. UP Police

Answer: B

Current Affairs: Environment and Ecology

New report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)

• India, China, Bangladesh and the Netherlands face the highest threat of sea-level rise globally, according to a new report by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), released recently.

Findings:

Threats of Sea level rise:

• The countries most at risk from sea level rise globally are India, China, Bangladesh, and the Netherlands.
• The report stated that several big cities in all continents are threatened by the rise in sea level. 
• These include Shanghai, Dhaka, Bangkok, Jakarta, Mumbai, Maputo, Lagos, Cairo, London, Copenhagen, New York, Los Angeles, Buenos Aires and Santiago.

Stimulating factors:

• If trends in urbanisation in exposed areas continue, this will exacerbate the impacts, with more challenges where energy, water and other services are constrained”, it reported. 
• The impacts of average sea-level rise are boosted by storm surges and tidal variations, as was the situation during the landfall of hurricane Sandy in New York and Cyclone Idai in Mozambique.

Melting of ice mass in Antarctica:

• According to future estimates based on climate models and ocean-atmosphere physics, the WMO reported that the speed of melting of the largest global ice mass in Antarctica is uncertain.

Primary factors for sea level rise:

• Thermal expansion
• Melting glaciers
• Loss of Greenland and Antarctica’s ice sheets

DHARA – Annual meeting of members of the River Cities Alliance (RCA)

• DHARA, the annual meeting of the members of the River Cities Alliance (RCA), is being organised by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).
• DHARA, which stands for Driving Holistic Action for Urban Rivers, is a platform to co-learn and discuss solutions for managing local water resources.

River Cities Alliance 

• River Cities Alliance (RCA) was launched in 2021 as a dedicated platform for river cities across India to discuss and exchange information for sustainable management of urban rivers.
• It includes cities from both the Ganga basin and non-Ganga basin states.
• River Cities Alliance is a first-of-its-kind Alliance in the world, symbolising the successful partnership of the two Ministries, i.e., the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. 
• The Alliance focuses on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.

Current Affairs: Environment and Ecology

Mumbai leaves Delhi behind, ranks as the world’s second-most polluted city

• Mumbai has overtaken Delhi to become the world’s second-most polluted city in terms of the global Air Quality Index (AQI). 
• According to Switzerland-based air quality monitoring tech company IQAir, Sarajevo in Bosnia has been ranked as the world’s most polluted city for the period between 29 January and 8 February.   

Data:

• According to the AQI data on the IQAir website, Mumbai has an AQI of 163, which falls under the unhealthy category  
• Lahore is in the third position. Delhi is in the sixth spot with 155 US AQI, while Kolkata is in the 17th position with a US AQI of 135 

Why Mumbai’s air quality is falling: 

• During the peak winter months of November 2022 to January 2023, air quality in India’s financial hub, Mumbai, has noticeably fallen due to various factors 
• Experts have blamed the dust due to roads and construction activities and smoke from vehicles for the high pollution levels in Mumbai
• A 2020 study by NEERI and IIT-B has stated that road or construction dust is the main source of air pollution in Mumbai as there is a heavy concentration (about 71 per cent) of the particulate matter in Mumbai’s air
• The remaining comes from industrial and power units, airports, and garbage dumps

What is IQAir?

• IQAir, a Swiss air tracking index and a real-time worldwide air quality monitor, collaborates with UNEP and Greenpeace and measures air quality in India using data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) 
• The cities are categorised into ‘healthy’, ‘unhealthy’, and ‘hazardous’ as per US air quality index (AQI) standards, which are more stringent than in India

Top 10 most-polluted cities worldwide:

1. Lahore (Pakistan)

2. Mumbai (India)

3. Kabul (Afghanistan)

4. Kaohsiung (Taiwan)

5. Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan)

6. Accra (Ghana)

7. Krakow (Poland)

8. Doha (Qatar)

9. Astana (Kazakhstan)

10. Santiago (Chile)

Question: 3

According to recent data by IQAir, a Swiss air tracking index, which city has overtaken Delhi to become the world’s second-most polluted city in terms of the global Air Quality Index (AQI)? 

A. Lahore, Pakistan

B. Mumbai, India

C. Kabul, Afghanistan

D. Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Answer: B

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

Current Affairs: Technology

Indian Army officer develops tool to track troops and assets being used in Turkey relief operations

• The Indian Army’s SANCHAR, a network-independent, real-time tracking and messaging module, is being used in Turkey, where Indian Army personnel have been deployed to provide relief to the local community.
• The technology, which can be used by all defence and paramilitary forces in action to track team members and assets in war regions, was designed by an Army team that included Captain Karan Singh and Sub PG Sapre, according to officials.

Features of SANCHAR

• SANCHAR is compatible with all map formats and GPS constellations 
• It has a compact size (12x12x5 cm) and is lightweight 
• The system has a communication range of 1.5-2 km and a battery life of six to seven hours 
• It is low cost as compared to its variables

Factbook – 16-02-2023

Tata-owned Air India signs ‘Largest Deal in Aviation History’

• Air India has signed a deal to buy about 500 new planes worth more than $100 billion at list prices, in what is said to be the single largest order by any airline in aviation history.
• Air India is set to buy 250 Airbus planes, split between 210 single-aisle A320neos and 40 widebody A350s, and 220 Boeing aircraft, including 190 of its 737 MAX narrowbody jets, 20 787 widebodies and ten 777Xs.
• Air India has also signed deals with engine makers CFM International and Rolls Royce and a joint venture between GE Aviation and Safran for the supply of engines.
• The Tata Group, which currently operates Vistara and AirAsia India, apart from Air India and Air India Express, is also consolidating its operations under one brand.
• United States President Joe Biden hailed Air India’s decision to purchase these aircraft from Boeing and called it a “historic agreement between Tata-owned airlines and Boeing”.

Question: 

Which Indian aviation company recently signed a deal to buy 500 brand-new aircraft for more than $100 billion, making it the single-largest order in aviation history?

A. IndiGo

B. Air India

C. SpiceJet

D. Tata

Answer: D

Real Madrid beat Al Hilal to win record fifth Club World Cup

• Real Madrid has won the Club World Cup for a record-extending fifth time after beating Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal 5-3 in the final in Rabat, Morocco.
• Vinicius Junior scored twice and helped Karim Benzema with a third, while Federico Valverde added two more for the European champions
• Madrid last won the tournament in 2018. It also lifted the trophy in 2014, 2016 and 2017.
• Madrid also won three Intercontinental Cups in 1960, 1998 and 2002.
• The FIFA Club World Cup is an international men’s association football competition organised by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association, the sport’s global governing body. 
• The competition was first contested in 2000 as the FIFA Club World Championship.

Marburg Virus Disease (MVD)

• Equatorial Guinea has confirmed its first-ever outbreak of MVD. 
• Marburg virus is part of the filovirus family, including the Ebola virus. 
• Though caused by different viruses, the two diseases are clinically similar. 
• MVD is not an airborne disease. 
• MVD can spread through human-to-human transmission. 
• There are no authorised vaccines or drugs to treat Marburg, but rehydration treatment to alleviate symptoms can improve the chances of survival. 
• MVD was initially detected in 1967 in Marburg and Frankfurt (Germany); and in Belgrade (Serbia).

Sania Mirza appointed mentor of RCB’s women’s cricket team

• Indian tennis player Sania Mirza has been appointed the mentor of Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) women’s cricket team.
• Sania featured in her last Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January.
• Mirza retired from the sport after the Australian Open earlier this year, where she and her partner Rohan Bopanna finished runners-up in the mixed doubles event.
• The RCB bought 18 players at the WPL auction, including top Indian star Smriti Mandhan and international players of acclaim, like Ellyese Perry, Megan Schutt and Sophie Devine.
• The WPL schedule was announced on 14 February, as it was revealed the 22-match tournament would kick off on 4 March.

Question: 

Which famous sports icon has recently been appointed the mentor of the Women’s Premier League squad of Royal Challengers Bangalore? 

A. Sachin Tendulkar

B. Rohan Bopanna

C. Sania Mirza

D. Saina Nehwal

Answer: C

Nikos Christodoulides, elected as the next President of Cyprus

• Former Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides has been elected as the eighth President.
• Christodoulides, 49, won 51.9% of the vote, while his opponent Andreas Mavroyanis, 66, took 48.1%.
• He was appointed Government Spokesperson in 2014 and Foreign Minister in 2018.
• Christodoulides is supported by the Democratic Party, the Movement for Social Democracy and the Democratic Alignment.

About the Republic of Cyprus:

1. It is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea
2. It gained its Independence from Britain in 1960
3. Capital: Nicosia 
4. Currency: Euro 

Garuda Aerospace unveils solar-powered drone SURAJ at Aero India 2023

• Garuda Aerospace unveiled its latest solar-powered unmanned aerial J-Glider – SURAJ, at the Aero India 2023 show in Bengaluru. 
• Dr Satheesh Reddy, former DRDO Chairman and current Principal Scientific Advisor to the Defence Minister, unveiled the drone.
• SURAJ is an ISR high-altitude drone designed specifically for surveillance operations, providing real-time information to the high command and protecting jawans on the ground. 
• The drone’s J-shaped wings are equipped with solar-powered cells that serve as its primary fuel source, while an auxiliary battery provides additional propulsion or decreased speed as required.
• The drone will carry a versatile payload of high-resolution zoom cameras with thermal imagery with a maximum capacity of 10 kg. 
• It is claimed to have an endurance of 12 hours and can fly at an altitude of 3000 feet.

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