Daily Current Affairs for Competitive Examinations: March 31, 2023

Competitive exams like UPPSC, UGC NET, SBI, MPPSC and so on include a current affairs section in the question papers. Most candidates fail to clear the exam as they face difficulty in attempting this section of the question paper. However, scoring well in this section becomes easy if the candidates keep themselves updated with the news around the world.

Our Embibe specialists have curated the latest events from around the world and are included in this article.

Conservation Plan for Great Indian Bustards

• To conserve and protect the Great Indian Bustard, which is considered one of the largest flying birds in the world, the Government of India is implementing various measures throughout the country. 
• However, apart from certain regions in Rajasthan and Gujarat, the birds have disappeared from 90% of their original habitat. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified the species as “critically endangered”.
• The Government of Rajasthan has proposed an in-situ conservation plan for the Great Indian Bustard, which requires approval from the State Board for Wild Life before funding support can be considered from the State plan or State CAMPA funds.
• The Great Indian Bustard is granted the highest level of legal protection from hunting as it is included in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Important habitats of the species are designated as National Parks or sanctuaries to ensure their safeguarding.
• The conservation of the Great Indian Bustard is identified as a priority under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme – Development of Wildlife Habitats, which provides financial and technical assistance to State and Union Territory Governments for conservation efforts.
• The Great Indian Bustard is a large bird native to the Indian subcontinent. It is considered one of the heaviest flying birds in the world, with males weighing up to 18 kilograms and standing up to one metre tall.

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

Lionel Messi scores his 100th international goal for Argentina

• Argentina captain Lionel Messi scored his 100th international goal for his country in a friendly match against Curacao.
• Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi opened the scoring against the Caribbean island minnows in 20 minutes in Santiago del Estero.
• It came 17 years after he opened his Argentina account in a 3-2 defeat to Croatia in March 2006.
• Messi, 35, remains third on the all-time men’s list of leading international scorers behind Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, who achieved a century of goals in September of 2020, and now has 120, and Iran’s Ali Daei, who scored 109 before retiring in 2007.
• Messi has scored 13 times in the Copa America and is the highest goalscorer for Argentina at World Cup competitions, having netted 13 goals in 26 matches spanning five editions, starting in 2006.

Uttarakhand hosts first G20 summit

• Ramnagar in Uttarakhand’s Nainital district hosted the first G20 summit in the state from 28 to 30 March.
• Roads outside the airport have been decorated to provide a glimpse of the state’s culture to foreign guests.
• The three-day G20 meeting in Ramnagar saw the participation of 70 foreign guests and 30 Indian officials.
• Security had been tightened in the area in view of the Summit, and all arrangements were in place.
• The roadside walls were decorated with paintings and carvings of the culture of Uttarakhand for both Indian and foreign delegates to know and learn about it.
• To acquaint the delegates with local products, the district administration organised an exhibition based on local products, in which various types of local products were displayed.
• The murals also depicted the lifestyle and musical instruments of Uttarakhand. 
• The delegates were also served the traditional food of Uttarakhand and modern food.

Question 1: 

Which state hosted its first G20 Summit on 28 March for three days?

1. Kerala
2. Karnataka
3. Uttarakhand
4. Nagaland

Answer C

Female cheetah Sasha, brought from Namibia to MP’s Kuno National Park, dies due to illness

• Five-and-a-half-year-old Sasha, who was brought to India in the first batch of cheetahs from Namibia, died due to suspected renal failure.
• It was one of the eight cheetahs brought from Namibia to India last year.
• It is reported that when Sasha was diagnosed with kidney ailment back in January this year, the Madhya Pradesh department dispatched an emergency medical response team to Kuno.
• While four cheetahs from the first batch of eight were released into the wild between 11 and 25 March, Sasha and two others, Siyaya and Savannah, remained in their hunting enclosures after experts expressed concerns over their chances of survival in the wild.
• The cheetahs (five females and three males) were brought from Namibia in Africa as part of ‘Project Cheetah’.
• It was the first time in the world that a large carnivore was translocated from one continent to another.

Question 2: 

What was the name of the cheetah who recently died due to illness in Kuno National Park?

1. Shusha
2. Sasha
3. Sisha
4. Shama

Answer B

IIT Madras develops cheap and portable devices to check milk adulteration in 30 seconds

• IIT Madras researchers have developed a cost-effective and portable 3D paper-based device that can detect milk adulteration in just 30 seconds. 
• Unlike conventional laboratory-based methods, this new technology can be used at home and requires only a millilitre of the liquid sample to test for adulterants.
• The device can detect various commonly used adulterating agents such as detergents, soap, hydrogen peroxide, urea, starch, salt, and sodium-hydrogen-carbonate.
• The research was led by Dr Pallab Sinha Mahapatra, Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras, along with research scholars Subhashis Patari and Driyankan Datta.
• The adulteration of milk is a growing concern, particularly in developing countries such as India, Pakistan, China, and Brazil.

Question 3: 

Which institute developed an inexpensive, portable device to check milk adulteration in 30 seconds?

1. IIT Madras
2. IIT Mandi
3. IIT Bombay
4. IIT Ropar

Answer A

World Bank approves $108 million loan to improve disaster preparedness for Assam

• The World Bank has approved a $108-million loan to help Assam improve disaster preparedness and enhance flood forecasting, benefitting around 6 million people in a state where flood is a perennial problem.
• Assam had in 2022 suffered one of its worst floods that affected over 89 lakh people in 34 districts and killed 199.  Altogether 2,04,348 houses were also either severely or partially damaged.
• The loan, approved by the World Bank’s executive board of directors, is part of a larger $500-million investment programme for Assam, having a maturity of 11.5 years and a grace period of four years.
• The Assam government has projected an increase in extreme rainfall events by 5-35 per cent and an increase in the rise of flood events by more than 25 per cent due to climate change.

Question 4: 

World Bank recently approved a $108 million loan to improve disaster preparedness for which state?

1. Haryana
2. Maharashtra
3. Odisha
4. Assam

Answer D

Passing out parade of the first batch of Agniveers at INS Chilka

• The first batch of 2,585 Agniveers celebrated their passing out parade at INS Chilka in Odisha on 28 March.
• The parade was held under the aegis of Southern Naval Command. 
• The parade was reviewed by Adm R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, in the presence of Honourable Member of Parliament PT Usha, eminent sports personality Mithali Raj and eminent naval veterans.
• There are also 272 women Agniveers among those passing out in the parade.
• Khushi Pathania was awarded the General Bipin Rawat Trophy for Best Female Agniveer at first passing out parade of Agniveers at INS Chilka.
• Khushi, 19, from Pathankot, is the granddaughter of a Subedar Major and the daughter of a farmer.
• Amalakanti Jayaram, Agniveer (SSR), Ajith P, Agniveer (MR) were awarded the Chief of the Naval Staff Rolling Trophy and Gold Medal for Best Agniveer SSR and MR in the men’s category, respectively.

Naveen Jindal conferred with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” by the University of Texas

• Jindal Steel and Power Chairman, Naveen Jindal, was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the University of Texas (Dallas), and the award ceremony was held on 25 March 2023.
• Jindal, an alumnus of UT Dallas 1992 batch, was awarded for his outstanding achievements in industry, politics and academia.
• Jindal is the second person after Nobel laureate Aziz Sansar to receive this prestigious award from the University of Texas, Dallas.
• As a student at UT Dallas, Jindal served as both vice president and president of the student government and was honoured with the Student Leader of the Year award and also received the university’s Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2010.
• In 2011, to celebrate Jindal’s massive success, UT Dallas renamed its School of Management the Naveen Jindal School of Management.
• The Lifetime Achievement Award is presented by the University of Texas (Dallas) to individuals who have made significant contributions in a variety of fields over a distinguished career of at least 25 years.
• Past laureates include Mary McDermott Cook, Ralph Hawkins, and Robert S. Kaplan.

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

Factbook: 30-March-2023

Defence Ministry signs three contracts worth about ₹5400 crore to bolster defence capabilities

• The Defense Ministry has signed three contracts with domestic manufacturers at a total cost of about ₹5,400 crore to enhance the country’s defence capabilities.

1st Contract

• The first contract has been signed with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), which pertains to the procurement of Project Akashtir, an automated air defence control and reporting system worth ₹1,982 crore for the Indian Army.

2nd Contract

• The second contract with BEL pertains to the acquisition of the Sarang Electronic Support Measure System for the Indian Navy at a total cost of ₹412 crore.
• Sarang is an advanced electronic support measure system for helicopters of the Indian Navy.
• Both will empower the air defence units of the Indian Army to operate effectively in an integrated manner.

3rd Contract

• The third contract with New Space India Limited pertains to the procurement of GSAT 7B, an advanced communication satellite for the Indian Army, at a total cost of ₹2,963 crore.
• The satellite will significantly enhance the communications capability of the Indian military by providing mission-critical beyond-line-of-sight communications for troops and formations as well as weapon and airborne platforms.

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