Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: October 27, 2022
Current affairs are a significant part of the government examinations. Although it is easy to score well on this section, preparation may be a challenge. We have selected the best of the most current news and put it together in Embibe’s Current Affairs series. Our experts selected the questions on this page based on the important events that occurred.
Current Affairs: Defence, Technology
Agni Prime ballistic missile
India successfully test-fired the Agni Prime New-Generation Ballistic Missile off the coast of Odisha recently.
During the test, the missile travelled its maximum range, and all its test objectives were also met successfully.
This was the third consecutive successful flight test of the Agni Prime missile. With this test, the accuracy and reliability of the system have been established.
The Maiden test of Agni Prime was conducted on 28th June 2021 and the second test on 18th December 2021.
What are Agni Missiles?
Agni class of missiles are the mainstay of India’s nuclear launch capability which also includes the Prithvi short-range ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and fighter aircraft.
The longest of the Agni series, Agni-V, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km, has already been tested several times and validated for induction.
What is Agni Prime Missile?
The ‘Agni-P’ is a two-stage canisterised solid propellant ballistic missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
It is a canisterised surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a range capability between 1,000 and 2,000 km.
Agni-P is a new-generation advanced variant of the Agni class (under IGMDP – Integrated Guided Missile Development Program).
The Agni Prime, also known as the Agni-P, is a medium-range ballistic missile developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation as a successor to Agni-I and Agni-II missiles.
The missile comes with new composites, propulsion systems, and innovative guidance and control mechanisms, besides the latest navigation systems.
It is the sixth missile in the Agni (missile) series of ballistic missiles.
Range and specifications of different Agni missiles:
Agni I: Medium-Range Ballistic Missile with a range of 700-800 km.
Agni II: Medium-Range Ballistic Missile with a range of more than 2000 km.
Agni III: Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile with a range of more than 2,500 km.
Agni IV: Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile with a range of more than 3,500 km and can fire from a road-mobile launcher.
Agni-V: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of over 5,000 km.
Agni- VI: The longest of the Agni series, an Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a range of 11,000–12,000 km (Under development).
Question:
Recently test-fired Agni Prime Missile is an:
A. Air-to-surface missile with a range of 3000 km
B. Surface-to-air missile with a range of 3000 km
C. Surface-to-surface missile with a range of 2000 km
D. Surface-to-air missile with a range of 2000 km
Answer: C
Current Affairs: National
India’s first Migrant Monitoring System launched
Recently, India got its first ‘Migration Monitoring System’. The system is aimed at providing updated information on migrant pregnant women, lactating mothers and children instantly on a single system.
The system, developed by the Department of Women and Child Development, was inaugurated in Mumbai by Maharashtra Women and Child Development Minister Mangalprabhat Lodha.
What is Migration Monitoring System?
The website-based Migration Tracking System (MTS) will track the movements of vulnerable seasonal migrant beneficiaries through individual unique identification numbers.
The first-of-its-kind system will make available the information of seasonal migrant women and children instantly.
Among other benefits, the system also makes it possible to easily fill the information to department officials, Anganwadi workers and supervisors.
Impact of the system:
The Monitoring System will also be able to furnish information about food distribution, vaccination, Amrit diet scheme, and health check-up, through which these can be implemented effectively.
Moreover, the native addresses of pregnant women, lactating women, children aged zero to three years, children aged three to six years, and children aged 6-18 years can be obtained.
Last year, in November, the system was implemented in pilot form in six districts of Chandrapur, Amravati, Jalna, Palghar, Nandurbar and Gadchiroli, Maharashtra. It was used for filling in the information of beneficiaries in the web-based app.
After studying the process of migration of women and children, the information of the beneficiaries was filled in the mobile app with the help of Anganwadi workers and supervisors. Furthermore, efforts were made to provide Anganwadi services to the migrant beneficiaries at that place.
Question:
In which of the following states/UT was India’s first Migration Monitoring System launched?
A. Andaman and Nicobar
B. Maharashtra
C. Odisha
D. Delhi
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Culture and Traditions
Bhoota Kola
An FIR has been recently filed against Kannada actor-activist Chetan Kumar by Karnataka Police for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in regards to his statement while commenting on the tradition of ‘Bhoota Kola’ depicted in the Kannada film Kantara.
What is the movie Kantara about?
The fictional story is inspired by the relationship shared between forests and human beings and takes place over almost two centuries.
What is Bhoota Kola?
Bhoota Kola is an annual ritual performance where local spirits or deities are worshipped.
It is believed that a person performing the ritual would temporarily become a God himself.
This performer is both feared and respected in the community and is believed to give answers to people’s problems, on behalf of God.
There are several ‘Bhootas’ who are worshipped in the Tulu-speaking belt of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts.
It is usually performed in small local communities and rural areas.
How is Bhoota Kola performed?
The Kola (or dance performance for the Gods) is basically performed in an area near the temple of the village deity, which is usually close to large open fields.
The ritual involves music, dance, recital, and elaborate costumes.
Recitals in Old Tulu recount the origins of the deity and tell the story of how it came to its present location.
The divine medium starts the traditional performances as the local folklore called ‘paddanas’ are recited.
What is the controversy all about?
During an interview, Rishab Shetty said that the practice of Bhoota Kola was part of Hindu culture.
Actor-turned-activist Chetan Kumar, however, said that Bhoota Kola was not part of Hindu tradition but of indigenous people who are Adivasis, and it had been “hijacked” by Aryans who came to India in the later years.
Question
Bhoota Kola is a form of tradition mainly practised in which of the following states?
A. Tamil Nadu
B. Karnataka
C. Assam
D. Kerala
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Geography
Tropical Cyclone Sitrang
Cyclone Sitrang caused landfall around 9:00 pm (October 24, 2022) along the Bangladesh coast between Barishal and Chattogram, close to Bhola, according to the latest cyclone update from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Details about the cyclone:
The wind speeds around 62 kmph, gusting up to 88 kmph were prevailing in the region — within 54 km of the cyclone centre.
The eye of the cyclone was somewhere between Khulna and Barisal, and fierce cyclonic winds (above 100 kmph) were prevalent in areas as far off as the capital Dhaka.
The track of the cyclone as per ECMWF data on Windy is taking it northeastwards into Meghalaya and into Assam. Earlier, the track was more towards Tripura, than Assam and Nagaland.
The system will de-intensify as it crosses Bangladesh, but it will bring copious rainfall to all these regions.
What is a tropical cyclone?
A tropical cyclone is an intense circular storm that originates over warm tropical oceans. It is also called a hurricane or a typhoon. It is characterised by low atmospheric pressure and heavy rain, and its winds exceed 119 km (74 miles) per hour.
Tropical cyclones occur every year during the late summer months: July–September in the Northern Hemisphere and January–March in the Southern Hemisphere.
What are the characteristic features of a tropical cyclone?
Characteristic features of tropical cyclones are the eye, a central region of clear skies, warm temperatures, and low atmospheric pressure; the eyewall, which is the most dangerous and destructive part where winds are strongest and rainfall is heaviest; and the rainbands, the secondary cells that spiral into the centre of the storm.
Question:
Recently, a Tropical Cyclone ‘Sitrang’ hit the coast of which of the following countries?
A. India
B. Sri Lanka
C. Pakistan
D. Bangladesh
Answer: D
Current Affairs: Science and Technology
Sampurnanand Telescope
The Governor of Uttarakhand recently highlighted the need for discussing future possibilities of the 104-cm Sampurnanand Telescope (ST), a world-class telescope located near Nainital, at a workshop organised to commemorate the completion of 50 years of successful operations of the telescope.
What is Sampurnanand Telescope?
The 104-cm Sampurnanand Telescope, situated at ARIES, Manora Peak, in Nainital, is one of the main observing facilities in the optical domain.
It was installed in 1972 by Carl Zeiss, Germany, at the then UP State Observatory (UPSO).
Observations with the telescope were started after the rains in October 1972. The telescope was formally dedicated to the nation on June 7, 1973.
The telescope gets its name after Dr Sampurnanand, educationist and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.
It has completed fifty years of successful science operations. So far, the telescope has helped in producing more than 40 doctoral theses and over 400 research papers in reputed international journals.
Major observations of Sampurnanand telescope:
Discovery of rings of Uranus.
Two additional rings around Saturn were detected.
First detection of optical afterglows of Gamma-ray-bursts (GRBs) and micro-lensing event from India.
The first photoelectric observations of stars were made in India at the institute.
Question:
Sampurnanand Telescope, recently seen in the news, is located in which of the following states/UT?
A. Assam
B. Uttarakhand
C. Arunachal Pradesh
D. Jammu and Kashmir
Answer: B
Current Affairs: National
Honesty shops
Schools in Kerala’s Ernakulam district introduced “honesty shops” for students up to Class 12.
This initiative was launched by the Student Police Cadet with the aim of cultivating valuable lessons on trust, truth and integrity for students.
Details:
There are no salesmen at these counters, and students can drop the money for each item they purchase at the collection box kept on a table.
They can walk in, choose the item of their choice, and pay for it based on the price list displayed.
Launched in 2008, the SPC project was conceived to inculcate better civic sense among students and mould them as responsible youth who will react positively to the demands of society.
Objective:
The objective of the ‘honesty shop’ is to provide students with a chance to experience the virtue of honesty.
Though the schools have CCTV facilities, they have switched off the camera pointed towards the shop to instil confidence among the students.
The honesty shop has mainly school-based items such as notebooks, pens, pencil boxes, erasers, chart papers and so on.
What is Student Police Cadet?
Student Police Cadet, an initiative launched in 2008, was started to inculcate better civic sense among students.
The project also aims to mould them into responsible citizens who will react positively to the demands of society.
Question:
Honesty shops initiative was recently started in the schools of which of the following states/UT?
A. Kerala
B. Delhi
C. Gujarat
D. Himachal Pradesh
Answer: A
Current Affairs: Awards and Recognitions
National Media Award
The Election Commission of India invites entries from Media Houses for the National Media Award for the best campaign on Voter Education and Awareness during the year 2022.
There shall be four awards, one each for Print media, Television (Electronic), Radio (Electronic), and Online (Internet)/Social media.
About the Awards:
The awards are to recognise the outstanding contribution by Media Houses to promote electoral participation by creating awareness about accessible elections, educating people about the electoral process and raising awareness among the general public about the relevance and importance of voting and registration.
The awards will be in the form of a citation, plaque, and cash prize, and will be presented on National Voter’s Day (25th January 2023).
Criteria of the awards:
Quality of Voter awareness campaign
Extent of coverage/quantity
Evidence of impact on the public
Coverage of awareness about Accessible Elections
Any other relevant factor(s)
Question
National Media Awards are given by which of the following organisations?
A. Central Bureau of Investigation
B. Election Commission of India
C. Panchayati Raj Institutions
D. National Highway Authority of India
Answer: B
Current Affairs: Ecology
Great Indian Bustards
The recent sighting of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert has given rise to speculation that the endangered birds might have flown across the international border from India’s Desert National Park (DNP).
GIBs are critically endangered in Pakistan because of a lack of protection and rampant hunting.
About the Great Indian Bustards:
The GIB, which is the State bird of Rajasthan, is also considered India’s most critically endangered bird and is protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.
Its population of about 150 in Rajasthan accounts for 95% of its total world population.
The captive breeding of GIBs was taken up in the DNP through a project executed by the Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India in 2019.
Threats:
The GIBs in the Thar desert have been facing threats to their survival because of intensive agricultural practices, laying of power lines, and industrialisation.
Experts have observed that the endangered birds have raised their families within the DNP and outside in the rural pockets, where feed and grassland habitat is available.
They also move in the crop fields to pick up insects and lizards and like to hide there.
Protection Status of the bird:
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List: Critically Endangered
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES): Appendix I
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix I
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule I
Significantly, the GIB was added to the world list of protected species by the ‘Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals’ during its 13th conference in Gandhinagar in 2020. Pakistan is a signatory to the Conference of the Parties (COP) of the convention.
Question:
The Great Indian Bustard is the state bird of which of the following states/UT?
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